Harry Black Book 1: The Hero's Return
by AuthorK
Summary: Sirius had made a slew of different decisions that night he had arrived at Godric's Hollow. With Sirius' focus on Harry rather than revenge, a very different Boy-Who-Lived is going to make his return to the wizarding world at the age of 13. But the question is, why did Harry return so late? And will he still be the Hero the Wizarding World needs? Haphne! AU-ish, slightly mature!
1. Chapter I: Halloween, 1981

**A/N: So, this is my first fanfiction chapter ever and I'm kind of nervous about the reception of this story, if you could leave me a follow, favorite, or a review whether it be praise-worthy or constructive I'd appreciate it. ****(Currently Re-Uploading Chapters to fix any grammatical errors, if anyone would like to help, please PM me)**

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Chapter I: Halloween, 1981

**(Sirius P.O.V)**

_It can't be true, _Sirius thought desperately as he found himself on the grounds of a destroyed Potter Cottage, _Please god it can't be true._ James Potter, his best friend, screw best friend, his brother had been in hiding with his wife Lily and their newborn son, Harry. They were his targets, The Dark Lord's, but Sirius was sure he would never find them. Albus Dumbledore himself, a man toted by all as the greatest wizard alive had placed the fidelius charm over the house that should have protected the Potters from the Dark Lord.

Sirius himself had even created a second layer of protection making another close friend of his Peter Pettigrew the Secret Keeper. Sirius had thought it was the perfect plan, a prank on the Dark Lord worthy of the marauders, the one man who would be able to tell the Dark Lord the secret was a man he would never suspect. Sirius wanted that, he wanted himself to be a target. If he had to die for James so be it, but he wouldn't let any harm come to the only family he ever had.

But when Sirius had arrived and seen the destruction of the Potter Cottage first hand, he couldn't help but slam his fist so hard against the trunk of a tree it nearly broke, "Why God Damn It! It's not fair! It should have been me! They should have killed me instead!"

A chill filled Sirius as he began to piece together what happened. It was long suspected that there was a spy in the order. Though it filled Sirius with remorse to admit it, he had believed it was the last member of the Marauders, Remus Lupin. Sirius was certain that due to his Lycanthropy, he would be willing to turncoat if Voldemort had offered him the equality he sought. But now, standing in front of the wreckage of the Potter's Cottage, a pit formed in his stomach, _Pettigrew._

Sirius felt his blood come to a boil, he would find Pettigrew and force him into his Animagus form before he skinned the bastard alive. He was going to kill Pettigrew for what he did to James. Sirius began walking off the property, rage creating a throbbing sensation just behind his forehead, his mind spinning with all the ways he would make Pettigrew scream, that was until he heard something.

It was faint, so faint that Sirius had for a moment believed he hadn't heard anything at all. In fact, Sirius was certain he hadn't, until it grew louder, a painful, heart-wrenching wail that echoed through the stormy winds. At that point, nothing else mattered as Sirius ran into the cottage faster than he had ever recalled his legs moving before. There was a survivor in that house, and for a moment, Sirius had hoped against all odds that James Potter was alive.

His hopes, however, were dashed as within moments of entering the home, he saw James' wand lying unused on the dining room table. Panic began to fill his heart as he raced through the home, kicking in every closet, nook, and cranny for his best friend. Then, through a flash of lightning, he saw something he had hoped was just an illusion of the light. He raced towards the shadow, and involuntarily, Sirius fell to his knees, tears swelling in his eyes as he confirmed his fear was no illusion.

Propped up against the wall just next to the staircase was a member of the only family he had left, James Potter. Sirius wiped his eyes as he stared at the tall, thin man with cold hazel eyes and untidy black hair that stuck up at the back, slowly he placed his hand on James' shoulder, shaking him. "Come on Prongs, you need to wake up. I need you. You can't be dead. Please for the love of God, wake up!"

But James never woke and Sirius, with tears running down his cheeks, placed his palm on his brother's once warm eyes and shut them for good as he whispered, "Prongs you idiot, why didn't you have your wand? What were you thinking?" Sirius swallowed hard as he nodded, "I'm sorry I failed you, I'm so sorry."

Sirius held his friend tightly, determined to not let go until once again, the wailing sound cried out from the floor above. _Lily? _Sirius thought in desperation, silently he begged, hoping that someone had survived the attack. He looked down at his fallen brother, before lifting him in his arms and placing his body softly on the sofa. Sirius gave James one last look, from that new position, James seemed as if he was simply sleeping. But as much as he wanted to, Sirius couldn't stay and wait for the day when by some miracle he would wake up. Knowing his friend was gone, Sirius pulled his eyes away from James and with a heavy heart, he began climbing up what was left of the old staircase, each step filling his chest with dread.

It hadn't taken long for Sirius to figure out where to look, in the tight upstairs corridor there was only one door that was swung open. As fast as he could, Sirius ran towards the door, opening it to see another horrific sight. The room had looked like a hurricane had passed through it with photos, newspapers, and chunks of the building scattered across the area. Yet all the horror in the room couldn't have pulled Sirius' hazy grey eyes away from the sight that lay in the center of the nursery. Lily Potter, a beautiful woman with thick, dark red hair that fell to her shoulders and bright green almond-shaped eyes lay dead at Sirius' feet, and beside her, a familiar black cloak.

In all his life, Sirius had never felt so cold. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn a dementor had just kissed him. He had promised James that if anything were to happen to him out on their missions that he would take care of Lily. He swore to him that he would protect her with his life, but despite his promises, Lily Potter, the love of his brother's life was now cold and lifeless, and it was all his fault.

Sirius, despite all the hardships he had survived, at that moment had wished for death more than anything else, he wanted to die as he was certain that hell could be no more painful than what he was feeling right now.

Just before Sirius was about to allow himself to continue diving deeper into his train of dark thoughts, the sound he'd been chasing since he arrived at the cottage wailed once again, and like a moth to a flame, Sirius ran to it. Laying there, completely unaware of the carnage around him, was a small baby boy, just a year old. His bright green eyes were exactly like Lily's and on his forehead, a lightning bolt scar, like nothing Sirius had ever seen before. His Godson, Harry Potter was looking up at him, a light of acknowledgment in his eyes from his cries finally being heard.

"Harry," Sirius croaked, lifting the toddler into his arms, "You're alive. Thank god you're alive."

Sirius watched as he took a seat, his emotional strain being too much to handle, to his trauma he saw Harry pulling gently on his mother's sleeve, wanting her to wake up and look at him, but she couldn't, Lily Potter was gone. All Sirius could do while he heard the sad sounds erupting from the small child's mouth was cradle him, rocking him softly as he spoke, "I'm sorry Harry, your mama loved you, she loved you so much. Your dad too, I know you miss them, I miss them too, but your uncle Padfoot won't let anything happen to you, I swear it on my life."

Harry broke into tears, and it was in that moment that Sirius had realized he had no idea what to do. He had never wanted kids, hell, he never wanted to marry. He was perfectly content being a bachelor for the rest of his days. When James had asked him to be Harry's godfather, he had assumed the gesture was purely symbolic. He had never imagined that one day, he would be truly responsible for the boy he held in his arms.

It hadn't taken long until the crying of Harry wasn't the only thing that filled the area, suddenly the loud revving of a motorcycle bellowed through the air. It was his motorcycle, the one he had lent to a friend of both himself and the Potter's, and a member of the Order of the Phoenix, Rubeus Hagrid. Sirius turned to face Harry, the toddler still crying in his arms as he rocked him gently, and at that moment all his hatred towards Pettigrew was put in to focus, Harry needed him and he would never abandon him, never, even if it meant, for the time being, Pettigrew got to live.

The door kicked in and standing in front of Sirius was a man larger than any he had ever seen, mostly due to his half-giant blood. He had a warm smile though it wasn't showing tonight and equally kind black beetle-like eyes that due to the horror of the event were as dim as a dying candle. His hair was black, scraggly and coarse which matched his bread which it reached down to meet. "Sirius?" Hagrid spoke in concern, "What happened here? James and Lily, are they-"

"Pettigrew," Was all Sirius could say, "He betrayed them. James and I agreed to make Pettigrew the secret keeper in a ruse to trick the Dark Lord, the coward changed sides, it's my fault, It's my fault their dead."

Hagrid reached over slowly placing his hand on Sirius' shoulder. It was a light but firm squeeze and for a moment, Sirius felt some comfort until Hagrid's next sentence washed over him like a bucket of cold water, "Professor Dumbledore sent me to collect Harry. He says that Harry will be safer with his aunt and uncle in the muggle world."

"Dumbledore wants to send Harry to live with Petunia and her fat oaf of a husband!" Sirius shouted, causing Harry's tears to flow more rapidly, "No, he can't have him. I'm the boy's godfather, he stays with me. James told me about the Dursley's, they're awful. I won't let them have Harry."

"I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't send Harry to live with the muggles if they were as bad as you say. He must think that Harry living with the muggles is for the greater good," Hagrid spoke softly.

"No, I'm done caring about the greater good," Sirius growled, "The greater good lost me friends, how many order members have died in Dumbledore's peaceful attempt to win a war? The greater good has lost me everything, I believed Remus was a spy, Pettigrew's a turncoat, and James and Lily are dead. Harry's all I have left, so you hop back on that bike and you tell Dumbledore he can't have Harry. I'm his godfather and his closest wizarding relative, Harry is mine by right."

Sirius began marching towards the door, Harry wrapped softly in his blanket snug under his arm, until Hagrid stepped in front of him once more, "Sirius, Dumbledore said-"

"Out of my way Hagrid," Sirius said in a low and irritated tone, "Harry comes with me."

"But Dumble-" Hagrid started but before he could finish, Sirius' wand was drawn.

"Out of my way! Last warning!" Sirius growled.

It was a standoff that seemed like it would never end. Yet, true to his Gryffindor placement despite not completing his school years, Hagrid didn't move. Sirius cursed, either the man courageously stood before him or he called his bluff. Sirius did harbor the half-giant any ill-will, he never would have hurt him, but his patience was beginning to run thin. The thought of Pettigrew's betrayal, the death of James and Lily, the fact that Harry was an orphan before he could ever truly remember how much his parents loved him all came to a boiling point as he pointed his wand to the side of the room and shouted, "_Bombarda!"_

In a massive explosion, the cottage wall erupted and quickly, Sirius ran for it, jumping out with haste before he landed on the ground with a roll securely clutching Harry to his chest who giggled slightly from the excitement. Sirius cursed from the pain of his landing before forcing his body to stand. Like the lightning flashing in the night sky, Sirius bolted, not wanting to be caught before he finally escaped off the property. He quickly looked around, ensuring the view was clear of muggles before he barked, "Kreacher!"

With a pop, the decrepitly old House-Elf of his ancient and noble home appeared. His nose was long, so long that it nearly scraped the floor when he bowed, and his bat-like ears were wrinkled and drooped lazily to his shoulders. "Blood-traitorous master has called upon Kreature, how can Kreature, unfortunately, be of service to the disappointment of the once noble House of Black."

"Quiet," Sirius ordered an instantly the elf fell silent, "Apparate us to the Black Cottage in Dublin and lock down all wards, nobody gets in without my okay. You speak to no-one, you look at no-one, for all intents and purposes you act as if you don't exist until I give you further orders, am I understood?"

Without a word, the elf nodded and then, with a pop, the elf along with Sirius and an infant Harry vanished from Godric's Hollow and away from the scene that would traumatize both their dreams forever. All Sirius knew was that he would keep Harry safe, no matter the cost.

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**(Sirius P.O.V)**

Sirius did not feel well as he stirred around the Black Cottage. He wanted to vomit, the emotional strain was like poison and he felt the urge to keel over and die, but that wasn't an option, Harry needed him, he wouldn't fail, but he was lost and beyond confused. He had ordered the Black Vaults cleared and had sent Kreacher to set up a new account in his stead in the American division of Gringotts cutting off all funding to both Dumbledore and the order in fear that it might be traced.

He couldn't afford to stay in England, not with the tensions so high. There were so many enemies, powerful enemies that even without the Dark Lord would be difficult if not impossible for Sirius to stop alone, no matter how strong of a wizard he was. Malfoy, McNair, Avery, Nott, the Carrows, Dolohov, and how could he forget his lovely cousin Bellatrix. No, Harry was at too great a risk, and with his faith in Dumbledore shaken, he needed to flee, and he needed allies, people he could trust.

Remus, of course, would be one, but the man did hold his loyalty with Dumbledore still. Sirius was thinking a fidelius charm on a new house in America would be a good location to wait out the storm, but he needed a secret keeper, somebody he could trust would be more loyal to him than Dumbledore and his kind persuasions. His mind constantly echoed the werewolf's name, but he couldn't risk it, his heart was in the right place, but he trusted Dumbledore too deeply. It was the same issue with McGonagall as much as he loved the woman.

For a moment he had considered Frank and Alice, they were good friends of the Potters, and Alice was even Harry's godmother, but Sirius couldn't do that to them. For all he knew, the damn prophecy made Neville just as much a target as Harry and there was no reason to paint a bigger target on the young families back. That's when it hit him, _Andy!_

He had always loved his cousin, the two of them receiving the same love from their wonderful family based on their choices of friends and lovers. Yes, Andromeda Tonks would do perfectly, and if all went well, Sirius had hoped Andromeda could provide the motherly attention that a young boy needed. She had the experience, after all, his younger cousin Nymphadora was quite a handful herself and perhaps the Tonks' steady hand would be exactly what Harry needed.

Quickly, he drafted up the letter to reinstate Andromeda into the Black Family Line, a power granted to him as many of the members of his old house perished at alarming rates following Regulus' disappearance. There were many parts about being a Lord that was irritating, but the power to make split decisions was not one that Sirius minded. With the letter written, he once again summoned Kreacher, and with a crack, he appeared. "Yes Master, how can Kreature serve the disgrace of House Black?" The elf said with a pitiful bow.

"You will bring this message to the ministry and see it is recorded. This letter reinstates the Tonks' family as part of the Black Line and makes Harry Potter an official member of the Black Family as well as my heir. You will ensure that the message is received, and you will not speak to anyone regarding mine, the Tonks', or Harry's whereabouts. Afterward, you are to find Remus Lupin along with Andromeda, Nymphadora, and Ted Tonks and bring them here at once. Tell them I have urgent business to discuss with them."

"Of Course, Master," Kreacher said as he bowed unenthusiastically, "Perhaps afterward Kreacher will hang himself for allowing the Black Line to become filthier and filthier every day."

"Begone with you!" Sirius shouted, his irritation at the elf growing with every second. The elf quickly disapparated and Sirius fell back into his chair, a sniffling Harry still in his lap as he rocked his godson, gently singing the lullaby Lily had once sung him, though far worse than she ever had. However, Sirius' efforts must have been enough as to his great relief, his Godson fell asleep, his unruly black hair pressed against his chest. With Harry finally asleep, Sirius whipped out his wand and summoned a glass and a bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky towards him, and in an attempt to numb his sorrows, Sirius drank, and to his great shame, Sirius cried.

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**(Sirius P.O.V)**

Sirius wasn't sure how long he and Harry were alone in the house, but it must have been a while, as the sun was beginning to emerge, the chilly October air gave way to the frost of November. Before Sirius had shot up from his seat, he noticed that Harry was still curled to his chest, his tears dried to his cheeks. Sirius relaxed back in his chair for a while before he heard a pop echo through the house, and quickly he jumped to his feet, waking Harry as he drew his wand.

However, he was quickly calmed as he heard a familiar voice call out, "Padfoot, calm down, it's alright."

"Moony?" Sirius called out, and out of the shadows emerged a twenty-year-old man. He wore a pale face with premature lines from the stress caused by his furry little problem. His hair was a light brown, and as usual, despite Sirius' insistence that Remus could have direct access to the Black Vaults, he wore a cheaply tailored suit, that barely fit his tall stature.

Remus nodded as Sirius looked at his only remaining brother in agony. It hadn't taken long until Remus had looked down to see Harry in his arms, "Sirius, please tell me that's not who I think it is?"

Sirius could speak, instead, all he did was nod and he watched as Remus' face reflected the breaking of his heart. He stuttered more than once before he finally got his question out, "James, and Lily, what happened? Why aren't they here?"

"They're dead," Sirius finally croaked out, "The Dark Lord found them, only Harry survived, the house reeked of dark magic but He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wasn't there. Only his black robe laid abandon on the ground."

In a rage indicative of the beast inside the calm man, he spun around slamming his fist through the wooden wall of the cottage as he growled out, "God Damn it! How could this have happened! They were supposed to be safe. Weren't you the secret keeper, how did the Dark Lord find them?"

"I wasn't the secret keeper," Sirius said lowly, "God it's all my fault Moony. James and I, we thought that me being the secret keeper was too obvious. We thought it would be the perfect prank to make Pettigrew the secret keeper instead. We thought if they came after me, and I died, at least the secret would never get out. But Pettigrew he-"

"That cowardly bastard!" Remus growled, "I'm going to find him, and when I do, I'm going to kill him."

"The rat is mine Remus," Sirius spoke, "It was my fault, I'm the one who gets to make it up to James by killing the traitor."

"All this talk of killing traitors, while it is interesting is not the most suited for my daughter's ears," A third voice broke through the crowd, "Plus, you've woken up the poor boy. Quick, hand him to me, I'll go warm some formula for him."

Facing Sirius was a woman he had not seen for many years, as he had remembered Andromeda had an uncanny physical resemblance to Bellatrix with patrician beauty and an aristocratic bearing synonymous with House Black. The main difference between her and his less than lovely cousin was her brown hair and her wider, much warmer brown eyes.

"Sirius!" A warm and excited voice called from the crowd, before toppling him with a hug due to the fact that as anyone who knew her would have expected she tripped. Sirius groaned when his back slammed against the floor, but when his eyes opened once again, he saw the familiar heart-shaped faced, warm brown eyes, and bubblegum pink hair of his favorite cousin's daughter.

"Hey Tonks," Sirius spoke quietly, "Any chance you could get off me, my balance isn't too great right now."

"Nym," Ted called, "Why don't you go to the kitchen with your mother to help Harry, Sirius and I have some business to discuss."

Tonks nodded before leaving the room leaving Remus, Ted, and Sirius alone in the living room. Ted was a larger and yet extremely kind man with fair-colored hair and a pleasant voice, "I must say Sirius, the contents of the letter your House Elf delivered from the ministry was quite surprising. I imagine you have a reason for re-invoking my wife and by extension my family back into the Black Family line. I would also like to know why my family was summoned here to attend a 'critical' meeting.

Sirius nodded and with a tired breath, he began to explain the story. The betrayal of Pettigrew, the blasé attitude of Dumbledore, and his new plan for what he wanted to do for Harry. Remus momentarily was outraged at the lack of trust Sirius currently had with Dumbledore, but after hearing the man wanted to send Harry to live with the Dursley's people who even the polite Remus would describe as unpleasant was enough to silence his doubts. It was only after the story was completed did Ted speak once again, "I understand, support, and sympathize greatly with your plan and cause, but I've yet to understand my purpose for being here."

"Frankly," Sirius said, "Your presence isn't exactly required; however, you are part of the family I'm about to ask to become a large part of the plan to keep Harry safe and I wanted you to be informed. I was going to ask Andromeda to be the secret keeper for the new Fidelius Charm. Remus is too obvious and while supposedly the charm can't be broken, there has never been a wizard as formidable as Dumbledore. As I stated, Remus is too obvious of a choice, but I feel he would overlook Andromeda as a possible secret keeper. Harry needs a motherly figure, he needs parents, and I am nowhere near qualified to be that. You have the soundest family I know, I was hoping you could help me out."

Ted seemed to mull the thought over a bit longer than Sirius had hoped before he spoke, "Most likely Andromeda would say yes, but I am concerned over my family carrying such a responsibility. Sirius, I have a job, so does Andy, and Nym, well Nym is only a few years from beginning her Hogwarts education. I can't just up and leave everything behind."

"I'm not asking you to," Sirius pleaded, "Just come down for weekend trips, teach me the basics of how to raise a kid, he's all I have left of Lily and James. I promised them I'd do anything for them, the least I can do is raise Harry in a way he doesn't become a screw-up like me."

"You're not a screw-up Sirius," He heard Andromeda call from out of the hallway, baby Harry sucking on a bottle of warm milk, "You're a mangy mutt, player, renowned philanderer, and perhaps a bit lazy, but you are a good man. If you weren't, there was no way that Lily would have consented to make you a legal guardian of their son. My husband was right of course in his assumption, I'd be more than willing to help, especially after the great financial burden you've removed from my family, but you need to believe in yourself Sirius, Harry needs you to stop fooling around and be an adult. Promise me you'll try."

"I swear it," Sirius spoke lowly, "I'll never fail Harry, never."

"Very well," Andromeda spoke kindly, "It appears we have much preparation to do."

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**A/N: So what do you think? Good, Bad, Awful? This is my first attempt at writing Fanfiction and I'm really trying to put my best foot forward. Let me know if you like the premise of not, cool ideas you may have, anything at all. I'm considering between making Harry either a Gryffindor or Slytherin so let me know what you would like more, I'm leaning more towards Slytherin currently. Anyways, as I said in the first author's note, this is my first chapter so if you could leave me a Follow, Favorite, or Review it would be very much appreciated! Till next time, peace!**


	2. Chapter II: Harry James Potter

**A/N: Honestly, the support you guys gave me on my first chapter ever was super inspiring. I hope to become an actual author one day and hearing that people loved reading my work, even if it's based on someone else's material was very inspiring. I would be very appreciative if the support continued so if you could leave me a Follow, Favorite or Review I would be very thankful. Now, onto the chapter.**

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Chapter II: Harry James Potter

**(Harry P.O.V)**

"Harry," A girl called out his name as Harry had begun leaving his middle school, it was his last year at John Adams Preparatory Academy, a highly rated and well-respected private school in Boston, Massachusetts, and while Harry felt bittersweet about the occasion, he was excited to go home. Nevertheless, he stopped and turned towards the girl running after him.

Harry recognized the girl immediately. Riley Goode, she was the daughter of the school's Dean and happened to be the most sought-after girl in his year. The girl was pretty enough, with long curly red hair and a spot of freckles across her nose, she had matured earlier than other girls giving her a distinct advantage when it came to turning the heads of boys, but it never really affected Harry.

Harry had sort of built up a reputation as a 'bad-boy' at his school. His uniform would always be messy, he didn't bother with dating though he had some steamy adventures with girls in janitor's closets, and he was very mysterious. Though in fairness, that wasn't really his choice. Harry had grown up in a family of wizards, and he himself had magic running through his veins. With a wave of his wand he could conjure fire, open locks, make things fly, anything that could be thought off there was a spell for it. However, being a wizard was not something that could be discussed with muggles as his godfather called them, though the Americans called them no-mags as it would violate what is known as the Statute of Secrecy. So, regardless of Harry's best intentions, his life was an enigma to everyone.

Harry turned, his emerald green eyes pouring into Riley's chocolate brown ones as she eyed him curiously. Before he could even say hello, Riley had grabbed his hand and began pulling him into an empty classroom. He eyed her strangely and began to open his mouth before Riley placed a finger to his lips silencing him. His quizzical look returned before Riley spoke, "Potter, you and I are going on a date tonight. True Romance just hit theaters and I'm not going to be seen alone on opening night."

Harry just smirked, he couldn't even recall how many friends he had at the school that had talked to him for entire lunch periods about how they wished Goode would even look at them, and yet Harry had just been told he was going on a date with her with no real effort. Harry questioned how his friends would react, but he sort of didn't care, they weren't exactly close friends, more like acquaintances, in fact besides Tonks, a girl Harry looked up to like an older sister, Harry didn't really have any 'friends'.

Harry stared down at the beauty of their year and not wanting to feel controlled he spoke, "Sorry love, I'm kinda busy tonight, maybe next week?"

"But-," Riley started, clearly shocked at being told no by a boy for the first time in her life, "It's opening night Harry, come on, I'm sure whatever you have to do isn't that important. Just cancel your other plans, I'll make it worth your while."

"Is that so?" Harry said, stepping closer to Riley, her cheeks flushing as she inhaled his scent of green apple and cedar, "Please do go on."

Before Harry could register what happened, Riley had pressed her lips against his and Harry grinned against them, the tables had turned completely and now, he was in charge. Auntie Andromeda had often called Sirius a scoundrel, but Harry was very pleased with the mangy mutt's lessons. Riley's lips tasted like Strawberry from her freshly applied lip balm and Harry was beginning to feel very convinced. When they broke away, Harry was still grinning as Riley looked up at him, "So I'll see you at eight?"

"Probably," Harry said with a shrug which earned him a scowl from Riley before he chuckled, "Relax, I'll call you tonight. See you at eight." A relieved smile spread across the girl's face, and without a second look, Harry left the empty classroom and headed towards the bathroom.

Harry yawned loudly as the door to the bathroom swung open. Exhaustion was a natural state for Harry. He considered himself by no means a genius and worked very hard to achieve his consisted 3.8 GPA, but he felt prouder of his success as homework wasn't the only activity he had when he arrived home. Harry was practically attending two schools at once, the first being muggle school which he only did because Sirius ensured him his mother would want him to have a good education, and Harry would do anything to honor his mother's memory and the second was his magical training.

Harry had received his wand when he was seven years old. It was made by a man named Henderson Truehart who according to Sirius was a Black-Market wandmaker. The reason behind the man's under the table business was not only because he sold customs made wands to minors, but it was also because the wands he sold were untraceable. Meaning that when a spell was used, neither the ministry nor the MACUSA could track it. This also meant that Harry had needed to learn how to have mass amounts of restraints from a young age as while he wanted to so badly, he couldn't use his wand for anything and for that matter anywhere except home.

His wand was made of Acacia and rested at a small but comfortable 9". Truehart had called his wand unyielding and Harry had proof of that, as when his godfather had tried to use the wand, despite all his talents he could produce nothing but pitiful sparks. The reason why Sirius was so interested in his wand, however, was its core, a scale of the most dangerous magical beast alive, a dragon of the Hungarian Horntail variety. Though Harry could never use it in public, he by both his desire and Sirius' instruction had never left the house without the wand safely secured in his dragon-hide holster.

The reason, death eaters. Harry had learned all about his past, how his parents had sacrificed themselves for his safety, how his lightning bolt scar was the symbol of their love for him, and how they were killed by a man named Voldemort and his followers. Sirius had told Harry that in the wizarding world, he was a hero. Harry chuckled to himself remembering how badly younger him had wanted to return to that world. How angry he used to feel when Tonks had left for Hogwarts and Sirius had told him he would never attend. But now, thanks to careful examination and reflection he understood why. All he would be was a target for death eaters.

"Macnair, Malfoy, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, and Avery," Harry mumbled to himself, those names came to his mind often. When he was ten and first learned that certain death-eaters had escaped capture, he vowed to himself he'd find a way to receive justice. But one name rang above all for him, Peter Pettigrew. Harry wasn't sure how, but he knew that once he had become of age, the vengeance against all those who led to his parents' death would be the purpose of his life, and Pettigrew, he would kill the rat if he ever met him.

Harry took his time washing his face, and when he was done, he felt refreshed. The training that Sirius, Remus, Tonks, and Andromeda had put Harry through had been tough. With physical exercise being matched with brutal study sessions of defensive spells, transfiguration, potions, and charms, Harry couldn't remember the last time he hadn't gone to bed aching.

But it was a good ache as the results had spoken for themselves. Harry had always tried to remain humble. He never kissed and told despite words always getting out about his escapades, and though Harry considered himself attractive, he would never boast about it. Harry was tall for his age, the conditioning he received had pushed him to his limits and he rested a comfortable 5' 8". His chest was firm to the touch, and he did feel quite proud about his ab definition. Harry had what girls had described as a runner's body, which made sense because every morning he and "Padfoot" would go for long morning runs.

On his eleventh birthday, Sirius had bought Harry his first broom, and while it wasn't a state-of-the-art broom like a Nimbus 2000, Harry appreciated the gift greatly. Sirius had claimed that it was just for practice and said that there was no sense in buying an expensive broom if Harry didn't like flying. But much like his father, according to Remus and Sirius, he took to the air like a bird and Harry loved every minute up on his Comet 140. The issue was that his glasses constantly seemed to get in the way, but one trip to a wizarding optometrist fixed that issue right up.

Now Harry's emerald green eyes were completely unobstructed and his hair that was once a messy mop was trimmed and styled into a messy fringe which exposed the scar he was so proud of, the symbol of his mother and father's love for him. He promised himself upon learning the story that he would never hide it again.

Feeling refreshed from the cool water, Harry stepped out of the gate and began walking the backroads Sirius had taught him the first day of sixth grade. A place where if he needed to, he could use his magic or call Kreature for assistance without making a scene. Harry had become very perceptive over the years due to Sirius' pranks, and he constantly needed to be on high alert. It wasn't all bad, it made it very difficult to jump him and he was sure that even Sirius' pranks had played a role in his training. The results of the obscure training was paying off at that moment, as while he walked through the back-alley that led to a hidden passageway to his home, he felt like something was off. Gently, he flicked his wrist, his wand entering his hand, before with a crack he sprang into action.

He felt the cool tip of a wand against the back of his neck, but Harry couldn't help but smile as he had his wand aimed back right at his aggressor's stomach ready to blow a reductor curse through their belly if need be. Thankfully it didn't come to that as he heard a familiar soft voice speak from behind him, "Not bad, kiddo."

Harry chuckled as he felt the wand dropping from his neck before he turned around and smiled. Standing behind him with her classic bubblegum pink hair was none other than Nymphadora Tonks. Harry's grin was reciprocated by Tonks as the two shared a tight embrace. It had been months since Harry had seen his 'older sister' as she had graduated two years ago and Auror training took up quite a bit of time. When they broke apart, Tonks spoke, "Wotcher Harry, how you been, kid?"

"I'm alright," Harry said nonchalantly, "I got a date tonight, some awful romcom probably but on the bright side, I'm done with middle school. 3.8 GPA."

Tonks lifted up her fist and Harry bumped it as she whispered, "Nice."

Harry smirked as Tonks, though being shorter than Harry naturally forced herself to grow thanks to her Metamorphmagus gene and wrapped her arm around his neck, "Try to let the girl down gently. I'm assuming this is your classic go on a date for fun and nothing serious type of date."

"I'll have you know I've always been a perfect gentleman on dates," Harry said with a chuckle, "And don't let Sirius tell you otherwise." Tonks laughed, and Harry grinned having not heard her quirky laugh in nearly eight months, "How long are you off from the Auror department anyway, I can't imagine it's for long?"

"No," Tonks groaned, "You think Sirius is bad, you've never seen anyone as crazy about training as Mad-Eye, the man's trying to kill me, I swear to god."

"Tough," Harry said with a chuckle, "Shoulda gone for quidditch, less brutal I imagine."

"You'd be surprised," Is all Tonks said before together, Harry and Tonks continued their walk back to the new Black home.

* * *

**(Dumbledore P.O.V)**

Albus Dumbledore, known through the wizarding world as the most powerful wizard to ever walk the earth sat in his chambers completely stumped. He was the man who defeated Grindelwald and the only wizard Voldemort feared, and yet, he sat at his desk in a puddle of fear and confusion. His chamber was empty, and his aging body was exhausted from the enormous magical strain that had been placed on him just a month ago. For the first time under his watch as Headmaster, a student had died, and it was a student of a family crucial to Dumbledore's future plans, Ginevra Weasley.

The culprit, an object that realized all of Dumbledore's greatest fears. A black diary ran through by the sword of Gryffindor, but it was not just any dairy, it was a Horcrux containing the soul of one Tom Marvolo Riddle. Better known to the wizarding world as Voldemort. When Dumbledore had located and entered the chamber of secrets, doing his best to mimic the sounds he had heard from a distant memory of the Guants' conversation in their cottage, the door opened. What Dumbledore had not been expecting to see was the nearly revived form of a sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle and an over 100-year-old basilisk.

Had it not been Dumbledore, it would be likely that even the strongest Aurors would have perished in the battle. Thankfully the help of his trusty companion, Fawkes had assisted him greatly in healing his wounds and keeping him rejuvenated throughout the battle. Once the venom of the basilisk had been absorbed by the sword, Dumbledore had been able to destroy the blasted abomination of an item, yet he felt uneasy.

The reason for his unease was one, Harry Potter. The proof that Voldemort had created a Horcrux led Dumbledore to believe it was not simply a one-time occurrence. Within the past two years, Dumbledore had crossed wands with a form of Tom twice, and there was no denying it now, Voldemort was alive. Which meant that the prophecy he had heard over thirteen years ago was still in effect, and as Mr. Longbottom didn't have any marks upon his body from Voldemort, that meant that the one who would vanquish the Dark Lord could only be Harry Potter.

Dumbledore had expected this, it was precisely the reason he had wanted Harry raised by those muggles. It was no surprise to him that those muggles would have treated Harry poorly, but he would have been safe and more importantly, Dumbledore would know where he was when the time came. Now, to Dumbledore's great frustration, the time was coming and the Boy-Who-Lived was nowhere to be found.

He had searched high and low for any idea of where the boy could have been. The owls had been sent, but all they did was spin around his head showing that their confusion was equal to his. He knew he was with Sirius, but with Black being the prime suspect for the betrayal of James and Lily Potter to Voldemort, and due to the previous suspicion, Sirius was also believed of kidnapping Harry Potter, though that part was strictly confidential and unable to be leaked to the news media as Fudge had no intentions of telling the Wizarding World they had misplaced their hero. The suspect status of Sirius, Dumbledore hoped would create a limited amount of possible locals that the two of them could harbor, yet he was still rather unsuccessful. He was certain that he had checked everywhere possible, that was if they stayed in the U.K and Dumbledore didn't much care for the thought that the two of them could have been anywhere in the world.

Dumbledore had thought it the perfect plan when he had hired Remus Lupin to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts this upcoming school year as it would have provided Dumbledore the perfect opportunity to pick the man's brain. But despite his best uses of passive legilimency, the werewolf either had no idea of Sirius' whereabouts or more likely Sirius had taken a page from his book and hid himself away under the fidelius charm and had clearly not chosen his best friend as his secret keeper.

Dumbledore had still offered Remus the job however. He knew the man was too proud to ever take money from Black, and he was very qualified to teach the course. He had also hoped that Remus' presence at the school would be the perfect negotiating chip to have Harry return to the wizarding world and back under his control.

He hated to manipulate people, but Dumbledore had lived through a multitude of hells. His vision wasn't as tunneled as others, he could see what was best for the most amount of people and he needed to ensure that Harry became someone who would follow his orders, obediently. Yes, the boy's life would be difficult, and if Dumbledore's theory regarding horcruxes was correct it would be short as well. But his sacrifice would free everyone from a world of oppression at Voldemort's feet, it needed to be done for the greater good.

For months on end, Dumbledore had wondered and cautiously examined every single possible person he could think of that could have been Sirius' secret keeper. Though he was certain it wasn't Minerva, he still checked for safety, and he had also checked with Augusta Longbottom, though that woman's formidable mind was hard to break through despite her age. Remus had been a no go, and though he thought it was unlikely Hagrid too was a bust. Dumbledore's mind was pulsing as he constantly thought of people Black may have chosen, until like a lightbulb he remembered a certain member of the Black Family that had suffered a similar fate as Sirius, one Andromeda Black.

A small and hopeful smile crept across his aging face as with a call to his Phoenix, the two vanished in a ball of flame with the destination of the Tonks' cottage in mind.

* * *

** (Harry P.O.V)**

Sweat was beating down Harry's brow as his ragged breath forced his shoulder to gyrate up and down. In the basement of the new Black Family home, a colonial mansion with Brazilian cherry hardwood floors, an impressive gilded staircase carpeted in red, with balconies and bedrooms galore was a state-of-the-art training facility fit to train older and younger wizards alike.

Harry had spent a great deal of time here with Sirius, Remus and Andromeda, but today, none of them were his opponent. Today, he be facing off against his self-proclaimed rival, Nymphadora Tonks. Tonks had never taken Harry's desire to beat her seriously as she had finished Hogwarts and year before Harry would have even been eligible to attend, and though Harry hated to admit it, as it stood, she outclassed him in every way. But that didn't deter him, Tonks was like a mountain-sized obstacle in his path, and one day he would beat her.

Harry stared up at his older sister, a warm smile was on her face, and while there was slight droplets of sweat coating her face, she was nowhere near as exhausted as Harry was. All the same, Harry persisted, stumbling to his feet as he groaned, "This time for sure, I'm disarming you and I'm going to win."

"Keep dreaming Potter," was all Tonks said as she raised her wand.

Without even waiting for the signal to start, Harry bolted towards her, quickly causing Tonks to jump into action. Harry ducked and weaved his way through Tonks' initial flurry of stunners and disarming hexes, until he fell victim to a knockback jinx which sent Harry toppling. However, Harry wasted no time, catching himself on his hands before he fell and launching him back to his feet before his body ever smacked onto the ground.

Tonks gave Harry an impressed nod, but he wasn't done yet, not by a long shot. It had been last year when Harry was gifted with the Black Family Grimoire. A set of spells reserved for only the main branch of the Black Family line. By law, Harry Potter was Sirius' son, and while Sirius didn't care much about legacies of lineage, Harry still felt responsible for learning the family spells.

Some spells were dark curses, honestly, they were more abominations of magic than they were spells, yet the Grimoire did have some gems, and the one's Harry had mastered, he had planned to demonstrate right now. Once again, he locked eyes with Tonks and at full speed began to charge her once again. Tonks just grinned, "You do know what they say about insanity Harry, don't you?"

"Save it," Harry growled, "I'm not done yet." He pointed his wand at Tonks, before he stopped on a dime a spun quickly roaring, _"Miasmora!"_ **(A/N: Black Family Spell made up like the rest of them, this one summoned a black fog.)**

Instantly a plume of black fog emerged from Harry's wand, and Harry smiled at the success of his spell. It was a cloaking spell that allowed only the user to see through the mist, the victims unfortunately would be completely in the dark for lack of a better word. Tonks coughed from inhaling the smoke before she conjured up a bubble-head charm and a satisfied smile appeared on her face as she whistled, "Not bad Harry, I see you've learned some new tricks since I've been away."

"You haven't seen anything yet," Harry whispered more to himself than to anyone else before he once again lifted his wand and spoke, _Pluvia Corvi."_ **(A/N: Roughly Translates to Rain of Crows in Latin.)**

Like spring snakes being released from a can, a murder of crows released from the tip of Harry's wand, each one armed with razor sharp beaks and claws. Tonks was certainly caught off guard as the first couple of crows shot past her leaving tears in her clothes and cuts on her skin. However, once she regained her balance, she too quickly adjusted her battle strategy. Harry knowing he was running out of time, quickly pointed his wand to the ground and readied his trap as he heard Tonks call out, _"Argenti Sagitta!"_

Similarly to Harry's murder of crows, an onslaught of silver arrows jetted from Tonks' wand piercing each one of his conjured birds falling them to dust. Harry grit his teeth as with a wave of her wand Tonks spoke, _"Ventus!" _

The black fog from the miasma had all been blown away by the violent winds that had spawned from Tonks' wand and Harry sat there exposed, panting and exhausted. Tonks grinned, "Give up?"

"Not a chance," Harry retorted, and with the last of his magical strength he spoke, _"Tenebris Vincula." _**(A/N: Roughly translates to Dark Chains.)**

Instantly, Harry watched with a smile as the chains he had planted beneath the ground of the training room with his spell sprung from the earth and bound Tonks in a knot of black chain-link ropes. Harry chuckled, he was finally victorious and with glee in his step, he walked towards Tonks ready to retrieve her wand. He was mere inches from her when suddenly, he felt the wooden tip of a wand pointed at the back of his head, "It was a very nice try," the voice called, "But as I said before, keep dreaming Potter."

Harry sighed, gripping his wand tightly in frustration before he finally relented and dropped it, surrendering the duel. In a depressed voice, he whispered, "How?" Before he turned around to face the smiling Auror.

"You aren't the only one whose learned some new tricks," Tonks said proudly, "It's a modification of the _Geminio _charm. Though it's been modified to work on humans, the Black Family isn't the only one with secretive spells."

"How long was I fighting the clone?" Harry asked trying his best to not sound so defeated.

"The whole time," Tonks said with a sympathetic tone, "You're a strong wizard Harry, I'd dare say the strongest wizard your age, but you suffer from the same problem Sirius has, you're impulsive. In battle it's not always a bad thing, your instincts can keep you alive, but the reason Sirius was always paired with your dad or Remus according to my mom during their days in the order is because their level-headedness balanced him out."

Harry knelt down, retrieving his wand and he felt Tonks' hand rest on his shoulder as he looked up to see her smiling face. Harry looked up at his older sister and nodded as Tonks' spoke, "That's the spirit, don't get so down. It's not like you lost to a complete weakling, Mad-Eye doesn't volunteer to train just anyone after all."

Before Harry could even attempt to respond, a blaring noise erupted through the house. It was a warning signal from the house's wards. Somehow, someone who wasn't keyed into the wards had just entered the grounds of the manor and without a thought, Tonks pushed Harry behind her as she lifted her wand and pointed it towards the door leading out of the basement before she growled out, "Wands out Harry, watch my six."

Harry nodded, and quickly they took up a battle formation, Harry's eyes scanned feverish as they passed over any possible weak spots in the building's structure. It hadn't taken long before a creaking sound of the basement door opening filled the room, and Harry was more than lucky that his trigger ready hand hadn't been in the point position as a familiar voice called through the room, "Harry," Andromeda called, "We have a visitor."

"Who?" Tonks called out wearily.

"He claims he's a friend," Andromeda said slowly, "A friend with extremely sensitive information."

* * *

**A/N: So that was Chapter 2, I hope you all enjoyed it. I was reading my comments and I saw that somebody had requested to see Harry's school days before he went to Hogwarts. I decided against it not wanting to bore everyone by going on a complete tangent but I did add a snippet of it in the beginning. I hope you've also enjoyed how I've written the two sides of Harry's character, and I hope you've enjoyed the relationship I've made him have with Tonks. I mean, honestly, their relationship in the books was one of my favorites and I decided I wanted to continue building on it. I also hope you enjoyed the new spells I've created and thought they were cool, I especially liked the rain of crows spell as that seems super powerful. Anyways, I hope this chapter briefly answered how the situations with book 1 and 2 were handled and in the next chapter the story is really going to get into gear. If you enjoyed, please be sure to Follow, Favorite and Review! All advice is appreciated and until next time, Peace!**


	3. Chapter III: A Visit from Dumbledore

**A/N: Chapter III, let's get it! Thank you all so much for your support! Please continue to Follow, Favorite and Review as it gives me so much motivation!**

* * *

Chapter III: A Visit from Dumbledore

**(Harry P.O.V)**

As Harry walked up the stairs towards Andromeda, Tonks walking steadily by his side, a level of unease filled the room. Andromeda for as long as Harry had known her had always worn a face of confidence and courage, never seeming to let anything get to her. But now, she looked concerned and somewhat uncertain, it almost looked to Harry as if there was a semblance of guilt in her eyes.

She had led both him and Tonks through the large manor until they arrived at the living room where he saw a sight the frightened him greatly. His Godfather looked upset, no upset was an understatement, livid was more like it. Besides Sirius, there was only one other man in the room, an elderly man that Harry was certain he had never seen in person but recognized well enough.

He was tall, thin, and his silver hair and beard that was long enough to act as a belt for his robes had he wanted them to accentuate his age. He peered into Harry with bright soul-piercing blue eyes that were hidden behind spectacles that sat atop his crooked nose. Harry watched as the man began to move towards him, the clicking of his high-heeled boots echoing against the wooden floors as his purple cloak floated mere centimeters above the ground. For a moment, everything seemed normal as the elderly man gave Harry a smile before he spoke, "Harry it's so good to-"

However, Sirius tone had greatly shifted the mood as he lifted his wand and barked, "Stay where you are, you don't come a step closer to Harry until I understand why Andromeda believed it was so important to bring you here."

Harry didn't know why Sirius was being so hostile to the man, but he followed in his Godfather's footsteps slowly lifting his wand to the man as well. The man looked at Harry with sadness in his eyes as from his cloak he drew a grey wand that seemed to be covered in beads. Both Harry and Sirius doubled down on their efforts, and out of the corner of his eye, he even saw Tonks preparing to draw her wand. But to his surprise, the old man simply dropped the wand and cleared his throat, "Sirius please, I'm only here to talk."

"We have nothing to talk about Albus," Sirius growled, "I told Hagrid all those years ago that you aren't taking Harry anywhere. He stays with me."

"Yes," The man named Albus spoke, "Hagrid made it quite clear to me. Believe me, Sirius, I have not been seeking you and young Harry here out to have a custody battle."

"Then what do you want?" Sirius hissed in a low tone.

"Sirius, my boy ple-," Albus started but Sirius cut him off.

"Don't you dare patronize me." Sirius said angrily, "I'm not your anything, am I clear?"

"Sirius," Andromeda spoke getting between both he, Sirius and Albus, "Let Dumbledore speak, I wouldn't have told him the location of the house if he didn't have crucial information."

"Alright Albus," Sirius said softly after witnessing a firm look from Andromeda that caused him to lower his wand to which Harry followed suit, "Start talking."

Harry noticed that Dumbledore seemed to struggle in what he had wanted to say. He wasn't sure if he was certain, but Harry could swear for a moment he saw a hint of concern in the elderly man's eyes. Harry watched as the elderly wizard looked around the house curiously almost as if he was mapping out the area in his head, Harry didn't very much like that thought, but he was snapped out of it when Dumbledore had next spoken, "This is a delicate sort of conversation that I feel should be kept private between you and I, Sirius."

"Whatever you have to say," Sirius started, "I can assure you I trust my entire family enough to hear it."

"This isn't about trust Sirius-," Dumbledore started but was once again cut off by Sirius.

"Either the whole family stays," Sirius said preparing his ultimatum, "Or you leave."

"Sirius I must protest in saying that it is not wise to-," But as normal, the elderly man couldn't get a word in.

"I'm not a part of your damn game anymore Albus!" Sirius roared in outrage, "I'm done being a pawn, I'm done playing. I don't give a shit about your greater good, I care about Harry and that's it, do you understand."

Dumbledore's face looked exhausted, but he gave a tired sigh, and eventually, he took a seat at the dining table and nodded, "Very well, though I can't say this conversation will be pleasant, especially for you Harry."

"I can handle it," Harry responded.

* * *

**(Dumbledore P.O.V)**

Dumbledore had never before felt as if he was backed into a corner but standing against the united front of the new House Black was a seemingly insurmountable challenge. So, in his mind, he weighed the cost and benefits of telling Harry and Sirius the truth. He deemed it could have many risks, but the benefit of having Harry Potter back at his school and under his control he determined was worth it.

So Dumbledore spoke the truth, but not the whole truth. He told the Blacks about how his suspicion of Voldemort returning was confirmed, how he had to the best of Dumbledore's knowledge created Horcrux, which while Andromeda, Sirius, and Nymphadora all seemed to flinch at, Harry just displayed confusion. However, the boy's confusion didn't last as after Dumbledore had set forth to explain how he felt that Riddle had made a multitude of Horcruxes, of course leaving out the fact that he believed Harry to be harboring one, he began to speak of the Prophecy.

_"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."_

Dumbledore sighed deeply as he finished the prophecy, he was well aware Sirius had memorized the damnable poem by heart, so had Remus, James, and Lily. The mark of lightning was proof that Harry was the one destined to defeat the Dark Lord and destined by Dumbledore's estimation to die doing it. Dumbledore watched with pain in his heart as a trembling Harry lifted his hand slowly to his forehead, the boy at least wasn't dumb as he quickly understood the mark.

Dumbledore observed as Sirius showed a display of paternal affection he hadn't been expecting from the once Hogwarts Playboy. "Harry," Sirius spoke, "You're shaking, are you still with us pup?"

"This is precisely why I felt it best to keep our conversation private, we've terrified the -" But to Dumbledore's great frustration, Sirius wasn't the only one who had begun to cut him off.

"Terrified?" Harry said with a chuckle, "No, I'm trembling with excitement."

"Excitement?" Dumbledore asked trying to keep the concern out of his voice as he sensed the boy's magic momentarily flare up.

"Voldemort," Harry spoke out loud causing Nymphadora to shiver slightly, "If he is coming back, then I'm glad it's me. He killed my family, it's only right that I be the one to kill him. I thought I was going to have to settle by getting my justice through his death eaters, but lucky for me the genuine article is coming back from the dead just to die at my hands."

"Harry," Dumbledore spoke urgently, "You don't know what you're saying. Voldemort isn't an opponent to be taken lightly, he's the most powerful dark wizard to ever walk the earth, you not nearly ready to take him on."

"I'm not saying I'm going to march out into the street and fight him now," Harry responded, "We don't even know where he is, and you said you've defeated him twice. I'll just keep training and getting stronger and when the time is right, I'll finish him once and for all."

Dumbledore turned to Sirius hoping he would speak some reason into the boy, but instead, his hand simply clamped on Harry's shoulder tightly as he spoke, "Well said pup. If V-Voldemort is coming back, then I'll be fighting right alongside you and so will Remus. We'll make the bastard pay for what he did to James and Lily."

"You're my little brother Harry," Tonks spoke grabbing Harry's other shoulder, "We're in this together."

"I agree," Andromeda said with a fearless nod, "The new House of Black takes care of their own."

Dumbledore couldn't imagine the scene he saw. Nymphadora may have been young during the first wizarding war, but she must have remembered the carnage well. Yet, her devotion to Harry had made her decision about standing against the possible return of Voldemort extremely easy. Even Andromeda, who had remained neutral in arms, but supported the Order in any way she could had agreed to fight for Harry when the time came. He certainly wasn't planning on the boy having this tightly knit a support system which made what he wanted to say next even more worrisome.

"I've come with a suggestion," Dumbledore spoke, "I believe now would be an apt time for Harry to return to Hogwarts."

"Why?" Sirius said a scowl on his face, "Harry would be a third year and as Remus, Tonks, Andromeda and I can attest to, he's way beyond that year's curriculum. It wouldn't make sense for him to return there, especially if the Dark Lord is truly rising as you believe."

"Sirius," Dumbledore spoke calmly, "I understand your concern is valid, but Hogwarts is the place Harry should be at this age. He needs to create friendships, real friendships like you had with James. He also needs proper guidance and training, Remus will be his instructor while at the school and I will be available to teach him everything I know about the last war and what is role in the Prophecy could be. Hogwarts is also the safest place from Voldemort as while Harry's location might be known, he will also be under my protection and while I do not mean to belittle your efforts, if Voldemort truly rose early and found this place, do you believe you could defeat him by yourself?"

Sirius grit his teeth; Dumbledore and he both knew the answer. It wasn't even a theoretical question, both Sirius and James have had one on one encounters with the Dark Lord before, and both times each man only barely escaped with their lives. Though Dumbledore rarely liked playing the strongest wizard alive card, it was pertinent to make Sirius fold.

"I can't," Sirius whispered, "I promised James and Lily I would keep Harry safe, I won't make him a target."

"Sirius," Andromeda spoke grabbing the man's shoulder, "Harry won't be alone. We'll buy a cottage in Hogsmeade, nothing extravagant, but a place where we'll be able to keep watch over Harry if something is needed. Plus, Dumbledore is right, he is the only man that has a chance to defeat Voldemort one on one if he comes knocking and having Harry train under him will be useful if he truly does have to combat the Dark Lord."

"Hogwarts is important," Nymphadora added, "I love Harry, but I can't be the only friend he'll ever make. He needs to make those bonds, they'll make him stronger in the end. Once I finish training, I'll talk to Moody and see what he can do about assigning me to keep watch over Harry too."

Sirius tightened his hand into a fist, balling it hard before he released it and turned to Harry, "It's up to you Harry. What do you want to do?"

Dumbledore felt the pressure in the air, this next choice would make a large difference in the outcome of the wizarding world and he needed Harry to consent. He needed Harry in his grasp, he needed Harry to have close relationships, because he needed to the magic of love to come from Harry's sacrifice, it was the only chance they had in defeating Riddle for good.

The seconds seemed to pass like hours but eventually, Harry nodded, "I'll go."

"Are you sure?" Sirius asked, "There's no pressure okay? Forget about the prophecy, you don't owe the wizarding world a thing. You've given enough without you even realizing it."

"I can handle it, Sirius, I'm your Godson after all," Harry said with a small smile, "The textbooks I've read all refer to Dumbledore as the strongest wizard alive, if I do have to face off with the man that killed my parents, I want to be as ready as possible."

The small smile turned into a bright grin as Dumbledore watched Harry try to comfort his Godfather, "Plus, Hogwarts is where my dad met my mom. Who knows, maybe I'll find the next Lady Potter-Black there."

Sirius looked of concern turned into a light smile as Dumbledore saw the man wrap his godson up in a tight embrace, "I'm not going to be able to be around as often, the ministry still thinks I'm responsible for the betrayal of your parents and according to Tonks, I also kidnapped you, it'll be a rare thing for me to able to step out of the cottage in Hogsmeade and I'll probably be spending most of my time here where I'm free. But I'll be there whenever you need me, all you have to do is send Kreacher to get me."

"I know Sirius," Harry spoke, "I know you'll never abandon me, but you raised me to stand on my own two feet, I won't fail you. And I don't know how yet, but I'm going to find Pettigrew and prove your innocence. You're the best man I know Sirius, I won't let the world see you as a criminal."

Dumbledore watched as Sirius nodded and turned to face him, his face full venom as he whispered lowly, "You will train him, you will teach him, you will advise him to the best of your ability. But if I hear one word of you attempting to manipulate him, I'll make sure that Harry is never seen in England again, and I'll let the whole world know it was Albus Dumbledore who lost the chosen one. No more games, this is Harry's war, not yours."

Dumbledore fumed slightly inside, yes Harry may have been the chosen one, but it was always his war. He was the leader of the light, the only wizard that Voldemort feared, Dumbledore never considered himself a prideful man, though maybe he was more prideful then he thought as he felt his pride damaged by Sirius' insinuation. However, once again he nodded, the kind grandfatherly expression never leaving his face as he spoke, "Of course, Harry's role is critical in ending the war for good. I'll make sure along with Remus that he will be ready when the time comes."

Sirius nodded and from Dumbledore's pocket he drew a letter and handed it to Harry, "For you, my boy, welcome to Hogwarts, Mr. Potter."

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Had Harry known that his date with Riley would have been the last time he'd have any fun for the next couple of months, he may have focused more on the post-movie make out session, but alas hindsight is 20/20. Ever since Harry had been informed of the prophecy, Sirius had taken his training up to an eleven. The physical training was brutal, all theory had been cut from the curriculum and practical learning became all that mattered.

The first week of the new training schedule had Harry collapsing from exhaustion every day, but now, three months later, despite the rigor and drain her would feel in both his physical and magic stamina, Harry was at least able to make it to his bed before he collapsed. Yes, Harry was willing to do whatever it took to get vengeance for his parents, but the toll it was taking on his body was astronomical and part of Harry looked forward to Hogwarts as he couldn't imagine the training there being nearly as brutal.

It was August 30th when he awoke at the surprisingly late hour of 10 a.m. something he hadn't been able to do in months, and more surprisingly, he was awoken to the smell of bacon. Not trusting his good fortune, Harry slowly got dressed pulling on his grey shirt and jeans before with wand in hand he crept out his bedroom door and down to the kitchen.

He had been expecting a prank or surprise attack, but instead when he arrived at the kitchen all he saw was Tonks making breakfast, her bubblegum pink hair messy from just waking up wearing her checkered sleeping pants and wrinkled black Metallica t-shirt. Harry lowered his wand, but kept it in hand as he called out, "Tonks?"

"Wotcher Harry," Tonks replied turning to Harry with a warm smile.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked thinking that her older sister should have left for Auror training and wasn't expecting her return so soon, "And where's Sirius and your mom?"

"Mum went out with Padfoot and my dad to look at cottages in Hogsmeade," Tonks said, "Which means I'm the boss of you."

"Sirius only put you in charge because Remus is busy getting ready for Hogwarts, didn't he?"

"I'll have you know," Tonks said in a mock offended tone, "That I am more than capable of being in charge of a house. I am a trained and certified Auror after all."

A smoky smell began to fill the air and shit eating grin began to emerge on Harry's face as he spoke, "Sure thing certified Auror. The bacon's burning by the way."

"Crap!" Tonks called quickly turning around and pulling the chard pieces of meat from the pan and onto the serving plate. Harry couldn't help but chuckle as Tonks turned to him with a playful scowl, "Ha-ha, very funny," She said before serving Harry his plate of burnt bacon and eggs, "Eat, we have a lot of things we need to take care of today to get you ready for school. Quick breakfast and then we're off to Diagon Alley."

Harry nodded trying to keep his excitement of finally being able to go to Hogwarts in check. His excitement was slightly shaken however when Tonks summoned a hat to her hand and tossed it atop Harry's head. It was an old Celtics hat that Harry got from his first time going to watch a basketball game with Sirius who wanted to see some muggle sports. Though all he said was that quidditch was better and after Harry had ridden a broom for the first time he had to agree with his godfather, though basketball wasn't bad.

"Why do I need this?" Harry asked lifting the hat and waving it at Tonks.

"Keep the scar covered," Tonks said, and Harry instantly began feeling defensive. Before he could speak though, Tonks continued, "Look, Harry, I know that scar means a lot to you, but we don't need to announce your return to the wizarding world any sooner than necessary."

Harry grumbled to himself but nodded understanding Tonks point before he shoved a clump of scrambled eggs into his mouth. Tonks gave him a comforting look before the two of them sat to enjoy their breakfast. It hadn't taken long for Harry to finish the food, his workouts had left his metabolism in an incredibly high state and he swore that he always felt hungry. He helped Tonks with the dishes and once everything was finally completed Harry called out, "Kreacher!"

"Yes master, how can Kreacher serve the heir of Black?" The elf muttered.

Harry smiled down at the elf. Unlike Sirius, his relationship with Kreacher was not completely unfriendly. It had started out rough with Kreacher sparing him of no insult ranging from unworthy heir to filthy half-blood. But it had changed when Harry had asked for Kreacher's assistance in learning from the Black Family Grimoire. Kreacher had hesitated at first, but while Harry himself was not pure-blood, he worked hard to honor the tradition of learning from the Grimoire, and though he detested the Old House Black for siding with Voldemort during the last war, he somewhat understood what Kreacher must have been feeling in losing a family.

Maybe the two weren't exactly friends, but Kreacher at least held his tongue out of respect for Harry's efforts to learn the Black Family Traditional Spells. "Kreacher, could you please apparate Tonks and I to Diagon Alley. We don't much want to be detected."

"Of course master," Kreacher bowed, "Kreacher lives to serve the noble house of Black." And with a pop, they apparated.

* * *

**A/N: Alright a little shorter than my other two chapters, but I hope you all enjoyed it anyway. Honestly, I wasn't really expecting to like the brother-sister relationship between Tonks and Harry as much as I do. Honestly, the two just have so much sibling chemistry and it's really fun to write about. I also hope you enjoyed the interactions between Sirius, Harry, and Dumbledore. I needed Harry to go back to Hogwarts and I hope I provided a good enough reason that it doesn't feel like a plot convenience. I've also tweaked Harry's motivations, but things may change in his world-view as the story continues right now, while not arrogant like his dad in his younger years, Harry is very self-confident... we'll see what happens. If you enjoyed this chapter, please be sure to Follow, Favorite and Review! Until next time, Peace!**


	4. Chapter IV: Diagon Alley

**A/N: Okay, I realize that there is a certain amount of confusion regarding 2 things. The first is why Andromeda told Dumbledore the location, and the second is why Sirius allowed Harry to go to Hogwarts. The answer to the first question of why Andromeda let Dumbledore come to them is because Dumbledore brought the destroyed diary with him, and Andromeda coming from a Dark Family can confirm that what Dumbledore is saying is true regarding Horcruxes. Yes, she could have floo'd Sirius and gotten the okay, but the information she felt was too sensitive and considering that even if Dumbledore wanted to reveal Harry's location he couldn't because of the Fidelius Charm I made it so Andromeda allowed him in. **

**The second question of why Sirius allowed Harry to go to Hogwarts is relatively simple, it's because of the Prophecy. Like Andromeda, Sirius knows what a Horcruxes are and though he may hate to admit it, he does believe Dumbledore and doesn't want to gamble that the diary was the only Horcrux. Sirius has also faced off against Voldemort before and barely escaped with his life. It is Dumbledore's reason that Harry should return to have friends his own age because it's important for the sacrifice, Sirius' reason for agreeing is because he knows that Harry is the chosen one to kill Voldemort and he also knows that nothing he could teach Harry in his mind would make him able to stand against Voldemort when the time came.**

**This puts everyone in a bit of a stalemate as while going to Hogwarts reveals Harry's location, it also provides Harry with direct training from Dumbledore, the only wizard Voldemort ever feared. It is not so much the friend argument that won Sirius over but rather the fear that Harry would be underprepared to face the Dark Lord without Dumbledore's help. I know it's not the clearest reason, I should have written it a bit more precisely, but I'm still new to this writing thing. I hope this clears up some of the questions.**

**Also, regarding the question I got in the comments about the Unbreakable Vow, I have a very simple reason... I forgot. I'm a senior in college and this last year and summer and mostly college, in general, has stopped me from re-reading HP. I know the major plot points and have just listened to Sorcerors stone on Audible, but my knowledge on the finite parts of the book are sort of murky. Although the Unbreakable Vow is something I'm going to be keeping in mind moving forward.**

* * *

Chapter IV: Diagon Alley

**(Daphne P.O.V) **

"Come on, Daph," Tracey Davis called as the two of them walked side by side through the crowded streets of Diagon Alley, "Don't be mad, I said I'm sorry."

"It's fine Tracey," Daphne said with a deep breath trying to keep the passive-aggressiveness out of her voice, "Let's just get out of here as quickly as possible, I hate crowded spaces."

"I know, I know," Tracey said apologetically, "Look, I'm really sorry I woke up so late, I was just up all night talking to Blaise on the floo and I didn't realize how late it was. Forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive," Daphne said with a slight smile, it was hard for her to stay mad at her best friend for long. Her warm brown eyes always had a way of eating away at Daphne, and her shoulder-length curled auburn hair always made Tracey look like a ray of sunshine despite her gloomy days.

"Forgive me," Tracey insisted.

"Fine, I forgive you," Daphne said with a groan causing Tracey to let a small teasing smile show, "Come on now, we still have to buy all our textbooks from Flourish and Blotts and you already know there is going to be a line out the door."

"Don't be such a downer Daph," Tracey said swinging her arm around Daphne's neck, "Maybe we'll spot a cute boy while waiting in line. Then you and I could go on double dates, it would be so cute."

"I actually have no idea why I'm friends with you," Daphne said rolling her eyes as she began to walk away from Tracey.

"You love me," Tracey said catching up to her, ribbing her slightly with her elbow, "Just admit it."

Once again, Daphne let out a small chuckle as she shook her head, and together, the two Slytherin third-years began their march through Diagon Alley. Despite her rush, Tracey had still managed to force her into Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, but only because while she herself wasn't a huge fan of pulling pranks, that didn't mean she couldn't appreciate seeing a good one. The two had also agreed to stop at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, as nothing in Daphne's opinion made a wait more bearable than a cone of mint-chocolate chip ice cream.

Finally, however, Flourish and Blotts was just within view, the only store left between her and her goal was Quality Quidditch Supplies. _Quidditch, _She thought to herself, _What a stupid sport._ She saw a group of students hovering around a broom that Daphne briefly managed to sneak a glance at and saw it was being called the Firebolt. Honestly, to this day Daphne couldn't understand the excitement people felt over the sport, yes, she would watch to go support her house team, and her little sister Astoria was border-line fanatical over the Caerphilly Catapults, and yet she had never found the sport entertaining.

Daphne was just mere meters away from the entrance to Flourish and Blotts when suddenly she slammed hard against the side of a person. Her mint-chocolate ice cream had spilled all over her new white blouse and she was absolutely furious. _What kind of idiot just stands in the middle of the road!_ She thought to herself angrily, but before she could be allowed to fester in her frustration, she heard a voice call out, "Oh, uh, sorry about that."

The boy had offered her his hand. He was tall and tan, his complexion that of a Mediterranean sailor. His bright, green eyes were so magnetizing, and his messy black hair only drew more focus to the emerald pools. However, Daphne was in a bad mood and instead of accepting the help, she simply pushed herself off the ground ignoring the boy's hand as she stood. Soon she felt Tracey appear by her side and she heard the boy speak again, "Or don't accept my help, that's fine too."

He had an American accent, of that she was certain, and it sounded like it was from the east coast, but most certainly not a New York accent. That accent was very distinguishable, and Daphne had heard it a lot when she and the Davis' had spent a month in the mecca of America. Daphne simply looked down at her dirty shirt with a scowl before she heard the boy speak again, "Oh, didn't mean to mess up your shirt, here allow me, _Scourgify._"

Then, before Daphne could even regain her bearings, she heard Tracey speak in astonishment, "Holy Crap! You're Harry Potter!"

"Um," The boy said nervously, and it was in that moment that Daphne saw the lightning bolt scar that legend had described the Boy-Who-Lived having. Daphne couldn't help but stare at the well-built young man in disbelief as he smiled slightly, "Hi there."

Quickly Daphne watched as Harry knelt down and lifted his cap from the ground, dusting it off before placing it on his head once more, "No one is actually supposed to know that I'm here so if you could keep that information to yourself it would mean a lot."

"Where have you been?" Tracey asked in wonder, "There are so many rumors that you've been traveling around the country killing Dark Wizards, or that you've been attending Hogwarts all this time and using Polyjuice Potion to disguise your identity or-"

"Nope, no dark wizards, and no potions," Harry said with a laugh, "Just doing math mostly."

"Math?" Tracey asked in confusion.

"Well, enough about me," Harry said waving off the barrage of questions Daphne knew Tracey most certainly wanted to ask him, "What are your names? Also, do you both go to Hogwarts?"

"I'm Tracey Davis," her best-friend said eagerly, "And this bundle of Joy is the Ice Queen herself, Daphne Greengrass. And yeah, we're third years at Hogwarts."

"Oh, Daphne huh, that's a pretty name," Harry said with a smirk, "Tell you what Ice Princess, since it's my fault I ruined your Ice Cream, how about we go and get you another one on me, like a date, come on, it'll be fun."

"It's Ice Queen," Daphne said, she never really cared for the moniker, but if someone was going to use it, they could at least use it right.

"Sorry, I kinda like princess more," Harry said with a grin, "So what do you say love, Ice Cream?"

"Not a chance Potter," Daphne huffed, she wasn't sure what she was expecting of the Great Harry Potter, but clearly the celebrity status had gotten to his head. She had never met someone so forward and abrasive and she had no interest in such cocky displays.

Daphne had turned down plenty of guys before, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, even Malfoy had tried once, but never had she seen a boy react in such a way after being turned down. Most either walked off in a huff or boasted about their importance in an attempt to try and 'seduce' her, like that was supposed to really flick her switch, but Harry did none of those things. Instead, he simply shrugged, "Oh well, maybe next time."

Daphne was irritated by his blasé attitude, she didn't care that the great Harry Potter had asked her out, but it annoyed her that her rejection of him didn't even phase the boy. She gave one last exhausted huff, and began marching away from the boy, only hearing through distant earshot, "Sorry, she's just a little cranky today, she's not normally this rude."

"Don't apologize," Potter said calmly, "The coldness is sort of attractive, never had to play a game of hard to get before."

Daphne watched as Tracey gave a small chuckle before racing back to her side with a final call, "Well good luck with your shopping I guess, see you at Hogwarts!"

Harry just waved, and Daphne felt her hand twitch into a fist as he heard him call out, "See you around Davis, later Princess!"

"Don't call me that," Daphne grumbled and without sparing the Boy-Who-Lived a second-glance, she quickly began walking away, the absolutely flabbergasted stare of her best-friend peering into the side of her head.

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry had never seen a girl as beautiful as Daphne Greengrass before in his life. Her honey blonde hair, her icy blue eyes, her extremely attractive resting bitch face, Harry wasn't one for overexaggerating, but if someone had told him that there was nobody there and he had just imagined a girl that beautiful that would have made a lot more sense to him.

Harry and Tonks had arrived at Diagon Alley easily enough, Kreacher had apparated back home and was awaiting their call and together the two of them roamed the alley going from shop to shop. Their first stop was at Potage's Cauldron Shop. It was a store that made Harry groan internally as for all his magical training, Potions was never a subject he was good at. It even translated to his muggle classes as his chemistry class was the only one he had ever received a C in and it still irked him deeply. However, after purchasing the large pewter cauldron, he and Tonks stopped at Slug & Jiggers Apothecary for the potion-making ingredients adding to Harry's dismay. It wasn't that he didn't understand the theory of potion-making, he just wasn't much good at putting it into practice, and he was sure that Snivellus, as Sirius liked to call the Hogwarts Potions Master would have a field day with Harry's ineptitude.

After receiving all the potion material, Tonks ushered Harry over to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Tonks laughed at the name claiming it was a bit outdated nowadays, as robes were mostly used for special occasions. The rest of the time, students wore white oxfords with slim cut pants for males and skirts for women. The two signature pieces of Hogwarts were the ties and the grey Sweater vests, who according to Tonks would change the color of their trim depending on the house one was sorted into. Harry picked up his uniforms and watched as Tonks paid with Galleons no doubt taken from Sirius' vault in the American Branch of Gringotts. Harry and Sirius always made it a point of contention as Harry had learned his father and mother had a small fortune saved for him, but Sirius always insisted that as he was Harry's legal guardian, he would pay for everything, including monthly allowances when Hogwarts started. When Harry had asked why he needed the allowance, Sirius' response was simple, "How are you going to pull stellar pranks without the money to purchase the proper materials?"

Harry chuckled to himself remembering the conversation like it was yesterday as Tonks once again guided Harry through the crowds of Diagon Alley towards Twilfitt and Tatting's so that he could have some fresh clothes to wear during non-school hours. While Diagon Alley was absolutely stunning, with its cobblestoned alleyways and buzzing town squares and market stalls, Harry was having a hard time enjoying all of it as he constantly had to keep one hand on his head ensuring that his hat didn't fly away and subsequently reveal his identity to the world.

However, after Tonks had spent nearly an hour and a half tossing clothes into Harry's fitting room to try on, they had eventually settled on a few 'dashing' outfits and finally left Twilfitt and Tatting's exhausted. They were so close to the final stop on their list, Flourish and Blotts when Tonks saw her favorite store in all of Diagon Alley and instantly the plans went off the rails. Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment was the favorite shop for many Aurors as it contained all sorts of magical equipment like Dragon Hide armor, (Though it was extremely expensive even by Black Vault Standards), Moon Charts, Compasses, Omnioculars, and even a foe-glass, which was another extremely expensive piece of equipment.

Tonks bolted inside to check out the new stuff, but not feeling the need to overcrowd the place, even more, she had whispered to Harry, "Stay right here, I'll be out in a jiffy."

Harry nodded, but as soon as the bubblegum pink-haired girl departed, instantly Harry made a B-Line for Quality Quidditch Supplies. The reason why was simple, the brand new Firebolt. Harry wasn't dumb enough to fight through the crowds to get a better look at it, but he had found a small clearing he could sneak some glances at the sleek broom from afar. He was greatly enjoying his daydream about Flying around on that broom for his and Sirius' favorite team, Ballycastle Bats when the epitome of beauty herself had bumped into him.

Harry wasn't sure why, maybe it was the challenge, maybe it was the strength she had projected, maybe it was the fact that his celebrity status seemingly meant nothing to her, but the moment she had walked away, Harry was completely encapsulated by her. He wasn't sure how, but one day he would get the Ice Princess to go out with him. Harry chuckled at the thought as he remembered the stories from Sirius and Remus about how his dad had tried so hard to get his mom to agree to go out with him, and slowly he looked up at the sky a smirked, "Wish me luck pops."

However, Harry didn't have much time to daydream about the Princess as he heard a very cross voice emerge from Tonks' lips, "Is it so impossible for you to follow directions for like five minutes."

Harry grinned, "Of course it is, I was raised by Sirius Black after all."

"You're going to be the death of me kid," Tonks said with a sigh.

"You love me," Harry said with a chuckle, "Don't act like you don't."

Tonks' hair turned a fiery red before returning to the pink color and with a tired groan she spoke, "I hate that I can't hate you."

Harry laughed, and Tonks joined in a few moments later before the two of them began their final walk down Diagon Alley towards Flourish and Blotts, so that to their great misfortune, they could wait in such an incredibly long line. The door to Flourish and Blotts was in view when suddenly, Tonks stopped him. Harry looked up at his older sister quizzically before she spoke.

"So I was thinking," Tonks said.

"That's a surprise," Harry said with a meek grin.

"Shut it," Tonks said allowing a smile to form on her face as well, "I didn't get you a birthday present this year, did I?"

"It's fine," Harry said waving off Tonks' concern, "I don't really need anything anyway."

"I know you don't need anything, but I just had a great idea," Tonks said, "Do you want a pet for Hogwarts? A lot of students have them, and I for one don't think I could have gotten through my N.E.W.T years without Gale."

Harry smiled remembering the old tawny owl. He remembered how much it had hurt Tonks when she had passed away of old age, she was the Tonks family pet for years after all, but the idea of having a pet of his own did begin to turn gears in Harry's head, "I mean, an Owl would be cool, I always did like Gale."

"No, for you I don't think an owl makes much sense," Tonks said calmly, causing Harry to look at her in confusion, "I mean, if you want one sure we can get one, but owls mostly stay in the owlery and most wizards have them to carry post. You have Kreacher though and he can deliver your mail in a more secure fashion as it would be impossible to intercept him. I was thinking maybe a cat, or better yet a Kneazle."

"A Kneazle?" Harry asked in wonder, "Why?"

"One, they stay in the common rooms with you so the company helps," Tonks started but Harry shrugged it wasn't necessarily a deal breaker for him either way, but Tonks' next point really sold him, "Plus, they are nocturnal so they can watch over you while you sleep if they're loyal to you and the Auror department uses them sometimes because of their uncanny ability to detect suspicious and distrustful people."

Harry thought for a while, he knew all about the dorms at Hogwarts after hearing about them from Tonks, and while he did know each bed came with a charmed privacy curtain, considering who he was, he wasn't exactly against the idea of some extra protection while he slept. Harry turned to his sister and nodded, "Alright, I'm sold. Where can I get a Kneazle?"

"Well," Tonks said looking over the crowd trying to find a building, "I know it's here somewhere, it's a kind of new building but I think we-," Then Tonks smiled, "There it is, Figg's Kats and Kneazles. It's a small local business that sells both half and pure bread Kneazles. I recommend pure-bread ones, the ones that are crossed with cats are easier to train but aren't as good at detection, still, it's up to you."

Harry nodded and spoke, "Alright, we'll go right after we get the text-"

"Don't worry about the textbooks," Tonks said with a smile as she pulled out eleven galleons from her wallet and handed it to him, "I'll wait in line, you go pick out your present. You've been training yourself to exhaustion every day, go have some fun. Just please try to stay out of trouble."

"I solemnly swear it," Harry said with a chuckle before taking the galleons and heading off towards Figg's Kats and Kneazles, with more excitement than he had expected to feel.

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

When Harry entered the rickety old building, the first thing he did was pinch his nose tightly. The scent of overwhelming amounts of kitty litter was causing his eyes to water, and his ears echoed with the sounds of purring, hissing, and meowing of the cage cats that lined the walls and floor of the store. Harry dried his eyes before he began walking towards the cashier, getting a grip on his previous sensory overload.

Sitting there on the stool in front of the register was an older woman who must have been Figg, her focus solely on her stitch work as she treaded yarn precisely through previously constructed knots with her long needles. She was a batty older woman with silvery grey hair that seemed about ready to pop off her head and fly away. She wore a dull pink dress gown and her tartan carpet slippers laid currently unused on the ground.

Slowly, Harry approached her, and a bit nervously, he spoke, "Um, hi, could you help me?"

The lady turned to him, her grey eyes peering into Harry with curiosity making him feel overwhelmingly uncomfortable. Then, in a shaky voice, she spoke, "Oh hello there, how can I help you, young man?"

"Well, I'm looking for a Kneazle. Do you sell those here?" Harry asked, feeling dumb for asking such an obvious question but not really knowing where else to start.

"Well, of course, I do young man," Figg said, "Your eyes are working, aren't they?"

Before Harry could even respond, the elderly woman popped off the stool and quickly slid into her slippers. She promptly took Harry's hand and began guiding him around her shop. "So right here," Figg started, "I have Mr. Paws here, a beautiful cross between a Kneazle and a Tabby Cat. Then I have Snowy, Tufty, Mr. Tibbles, all beautiful crosses themselves. Then over here I have-"

"Sorry," Harry said, cutting off the enthusiastic woman, "I meant I'm looking for a purebred Kneazle, do you have any of those?"

"Well," Figg said, rolling her tongue around behind her pursed lips, "I suppose I have some, but they aren't exactly the most friendly. Most Kneazles are easier to handle as Half-Breeds."

"I know," Harry said, "But could you please show me your Kneazles, just in case I see one I like."

"Oh, silly boy," Figg said, "You don't choose and Kneazle, they choose you. An animal as intelligent as they are aren't going to obey just anyone after all."

"So how do I know if a Kneazle chose me?" Harry asked, he had a myriad of other question he wanted to ask, but this one seemed to be at the top of his list.

"He or she will try to attack you," Figg said nonchalantly leading Harry towards the backroom, "They'll try to scratch your eyes out, bite a finger off, aggressive animals I tell you, but once you get a collar around them, they'll be as loyal as can be."

"Fantastic," Harry groaned slightly cursing Tonks for this awful idea, "Am I allowed to use magic, or do I have to wrangle these things by hand?"

"Magic is encouraged," Figg said, "Though they're fast and smart so you'll only be able to launch a single spell before they figure it out."

Finally, after a walk through the back room, they arrived at a large pen. Harry wasn't sure how a pen as large as the ones he had seen on cattle farms was able to fit inside a building that looked so small from the outside, but then again, he was in the magical world now, after all, literally anything was possible. Figg handed him a pitch-black collar and whispered slowly, "Are you sure you want to do this young man?" Harry nodded, and with a grim look, Figg spoke, "Good luck," before she pulled the lever and opened the pen gate.

Nervously, Harry entered the gate, collar in his right hand and wand in his left. He eyed the area nervously, he felt like a big streak in a lion's den as all around him he saw eyes looking at him. Blue eyes, Yellow eyes, Green eyes, and in the back, a pair of light violet eyes. Every step felt like walking on a thin crust of ice just above freezing water. Each movement being tracked by all sorts of cautious eyes ranging from curious to furious. The first sound he heard was from a cat as black as a nightmare with predatory yellow eyes. Slowly Harry raised his wand, ready to dance in needed, but after an intense glare, the cat turned away, his interest lost and quickly the Kneazle curled up and went to sleep.

Harry released a deep breath as he continued to creep through the pen slowly. The next cat to approach him was fast, faster than he'd ever seen any animal move. It was a ginger cat with green eyes. Harry once again adjusted, getting into position as the cat hissed and leered at him. Harry returned with a glare of his own, and for a moment, Harry was sure the animal was going to strike, but just before he jumped into action, the cat turned, heading back towards his large hideaway leaving Harry once again empty-handed.

Harry had just about given up hope as the blue-eyed white cat seemed to have no interest in him at all until he heard a low hiss coming from the far back corner. It was a Kneazle smaller than the others. It seemed to him like the Kneazle was just old enough to have been moved away from his previous litter as it was tiny but not a freshly born kitten. Harry stood like a statue; his eyes followed the Kneazle as it circled him, it's violet eyes looking at Harry as if it was trying to speak to him telepathically.

The Kneazle was quite handsome, with a lush grey coat with a white underbelly and a splotch just below the cat's neck making it look like he was wearing a bib. Harry wasn't sure what was about to happen next, but the Kneazle decided it for him, and it pounced at him. Wasting no time, Harry quickly rolled out of the way, avoiding the primary strike as the Kneazle bared its sharp fangs. Harry lifted his wand, not wanting to show any fear, and like a flash of lightning, the cat pounced again.

Harry hadn't managed to remain uncut this time as a light scratch appeared on his right arm. It wasn't deep, but it did draw some blood. Harry smirked, the Kneazle certainly had some spunk in him, and for another five minutes, Harry and the Kneazle participated in a high stakes game of cat and mouse. Harry wasn't tired, he'd been trained far too much for a cat to give him difficulty, but he certainly hadn't remained unscathed, his Kneazle was a fighter, that was for sure. The Kneazle panted, his youth giving way to his exhaustion before with one last pounce, the Kneazle attacked. But he was slower now, and quickly, Harry lifted his wand and spoke, _"Petrificus Totalus."_

Like a rock, the Kneazle fell to the ground; its eyes trained on Harry as he slowly approached his future pet. Slowly, he knelt down beside the violet-eyed cat, and with a satisfied grin, Harry wrapped the collar around its neck before muttering, _"Finite."_

Instantly, the Kneazle sprang back to life, but instead of scratching and hissing as it had before, it merely climbed up beside Harry and began purring as it licked his wounds. Harry and his new Kneazle's quiet moment was cut short, however, when Figg started to clap, "Well Done, well done!"

Harry smiled down at his cat as Figg continued, "I haven't seen such a marvelous taming of a Kneazle in years, truly excellent work. Now, come along with me, there are some forms that need to be filled out registering your Kneazle with the ministry, they are class three beasts after all, but as soon as the paperwork is completed you can be just out the door."

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry had felt quite bad for the poor lady as he left the store. See, when he registered his animal it was clear the Figg wasn't expecting the name on the file to be Harry Potter. Instantly, she went into a fit about how she apologized if she had been rude, and the struggle Harry had to go through just to have Figg accept the eleven galleons was astronomically difficult. But after a promise that Figg wouldn't run to the daily prophet to reveal that Harry was back, a promise he was quite sure she'd break eventually, but he convinced himself it didn't really matter, he left the store with a cage in his hand, and his new Kneazle, Loki, resting atop his head.

Harry wasn't sure why the name came to him so quickly, maybe it was because of the cat's mischievous nature, maybe it was because of a cat's association to magic, regardless the reason Harry decided that the name of the Norse Trickster God would be the perfect name for his new familiar. With Loki purring contently on his head, Harry made his way out towards Flourish and Blotts where he arrived just in time to witness Tonks trip over herself and tumble out of the store.

He to this day was still completely unaware how a klutz like Tonks had made it into the Auror academy in the first place, but shoving that thought aside, he quickly rushed to his sister's side helping her to her feet and picking the books off the ground as Tonks brushed herself off.

"Wotcher Harry," Tonks said before coming face to face with Loki, "Ah, so you got your Kneazle alright then?'

"Yeah," Harry groaned still rubbing his cuts, "Thanks for the info on the taming process, it was a lot of fun."

Tonks gave Harry a sheepish grin as she shrugged, "Shouldn't have made fun of me this morning then."

"You're unbelievable you know that?" Harry said with a chuckle.

Tonks just grinned, "I know, anyway, now that we've got everything are you ready to head home. I clean those cuts right up as soon as we get back."

"Yeah if you got all the textbooks I think we have everything," Harry said double checking his bags before he nodded feeling confident he had everything he needed. Then with a calm voice, Harry called out, "Kreacher."

With a pop, the familiar house-elf appeared with a bow, "How can Kreacher serve the heir of Black."

"Please take us back home, and be careful, I've got a couple of sharp claws centimeters from my face," Harry said nervously.

"Of course master, Kreacher lives to serve," and with a crack they apparated, the departure to Hogwarts getting closer by the second.

* * *

**A/N: Alrighty everyone, before I get into the main section of this author's note, I have a question. Would you want Harry to have the same friends i.e: Ron, Hermione, Neville, etc. Or would you be interested in seeing Harry branch out into different houses and gather a different set of close-knit friends. Please give me as much feedback as possible because it would really help me make a decision regarding how I construct Harry's group of friends and the roles I give them. Now that that is out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, we got our first glimpse at HarryxDaphne and I enjoyed writing their interaction. We also got Harry his new familiar and I hope you don't mind that I've changed it from an Owl to a cat, it's not the biggest deal but I thought I'd switch it up a bit. I also that my previous author's note answered some of the questions I've received in my reviews. Your support is always super appreciated and if you could continue giving this story Favorites, Follows, and Reviews that would be awesome! Until next time, Peace!**


	5. Chapter V: Hogwarts Express

**A/N: So I read the reviews and it seems you wanted new friends for Harry and I'm so glad you did because that's what I've been hoping for. I wasn't able to write a chapter yesterday, but I hope this long chapter makes up for it. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter V: Hogwarts Express

**(Astoria P.O.V)**

Astoria had never felt more excited than when she had awoken the morning of September 1st and had found herself facing the scarlet steam-engine christened the Hogwarts Express. Long had she dreamed of finally riding the train to Hogwarts, to finally learn how to properly use magic, and hopefully make some new friends. But more important than the magic and the friendships was the fact that she would finally be getting to spend more time with her sister, Daphne.

Astoria couldn't really recall the last time Daphne had stayed home for long. It killed Astoria inside because, despite the fact that Daphne would tell her constantly it wasn't her fault, Astoria couldn't help but feel it was. It had all started three years ago, a few months before Daphne had left for Hogwarts as a first year. Astoria remembered the awful day like it was yesterday, the day the medi-wizard had claimed that Astoria was the member of the family that was inflicted with the Greengrass Family Blood-Curse.

Nobody in her family knew when it had happened, but long ago the Greengrass family had been cursed by either a powerful artifact or wizard, depending on what elderly relative she would hear the story from, that had caused one member of the Greengrass line a generation to fall victim to a fatal blood-curse. The past generation, it had been her uncle, he died before Astoria was born at the age of twenty-four, young even for one inflicted with the disease. According to her gran Roxanne Greengrass, most inflicted live to be at least thirty until one day, without warning, they die. It isn't particularly painful, but it's sudden and carries no warning signs.

Astoria had tried to be brave upon hearing the news, well as brave as an eight-year-old could be about learning they had received a death sentence. She had locked herself in a room and cried for days, yelling and screaming in a rage about how unfair it was that it was her. Though she would never admit it out loud there were days in her grief-stricken mind that she wished it had been Daphne instead. She remembered how nauseous her father had looked upon hearing the news, unable to believe what he had heard. She remembered how her mother had collapsed to the ground and broke down crying for her 'baby'. And most importantly, she remembered how Daphne had stared at her, a blank expression on her face that showed nothing, no pain, no disbelief, it was as if she was a porcelain doll watching emotionlessly as her life fell around her.

Astoria remembered the night the family had broken apart completely. She had come out of her room in the dead of night with the goal of sneaking some food so that she could return to her hiding place when she had overheard a conversation between Daphne and her extremely drunk father. "Daphne," her father had slurred, "Go to bed, it's getting late."

"I can't sleep," Daphne said, though her voice betrayed her exhaustion, "I need to get through Volume One of The Healer's Help Mate so that I can start on Common Magical Aliments and Afflictions tomorrow, then I have to read-"

"Daphne," her father said more sternly, "Stop this, right now. You're only making it worse."

"So what am I supposed to do!" Daphne shouted. Astoria remembered how shocked she felt hearing Daphne raise her voice for the first time, "Just let her die! She's my little sister, I have to protect her! I have to," she finished her voice lowering slightly under their father's glare.

"There's nothing to be done!" Her father yelled, his voice too rippling with agony, "She's dead! Do you understand Daphne? It may not be now, it may not be in ten or even twenty years, but she's dead! There's nothing that can be done! There's no cure for a blood curse!"

"If you're just going to quit on her then fine!" Daphne shouted back, "But I'm not quitting until Astoria's dead and buried. Maybe if you tried to be a father for the first time in your life and care about something other than your legacy, you'd pick up a book and help me!"

Then, it echoed through the room like an explosion, smack! Astoria's hands began to tremble as she watched her father hit Daphne so hard she fell to the floor, a bruise quickly forming on her face. She had expected Daphne to stay down, she had hoped she wouldn't do anything else, Astoria didn't feel she was worth it, she didn't want her sister getting hurt for her. But much to Astoria's dismay, Daphne stood once more, and to Astoria's sheer disbelief, Daphne spat the blood out of her mouth at their father's feet as she spoke in anger, "Congratulations Jonathan, now both of your daughters are dead to you."

Astoria remembered quickly running up the stairs and hiding in her room wanting to wake up from the miserable dream she must have been having, but the relief of waking up never came. Instead, the next morning arrived and when she had opened her door, she was Daphne with her bags packed and a nasty blue bruise on her face standing in front of her. Trying to act as if she was unaware of what happened she asked, "What happened? And why are your bags packed?"

"Dad and I had a little disagreement is all," Daphne said comfortingly, "I'm going to be staying with the Davis' for a while, but don't worry, I'll be back."

Astoria had felt awful, she knew it was all her fault and with tears streaming down her eyes, she leapt for her older sister, wrapping her up in a crushing hug. To Astoria's surprise, Daphne, a notorious hug-hater, returned her embrace with equal intensity and for the first time Astoria recalled seeing tears stream down her sister's cheeks as she whispered, "I'm going to save you Astoria, I swear it."

"I'll miss you," Astoria said, her voice shaking.

"I'll miss you too Tori," Daphne said with a hug, "Be good alright, don't give mom a hard time okay? I love you, Tori."

"I love you too," Astoria said, tears streaming from her eyes as she watched her sister leave the Greengrass Estate for the last time that year.

Their mom had forced their dad to continue paying for Daphne's schooling though Mr. Davis, a wealthy wizard in his own right had claimed he had no problem paying for Daphne due to the current familial situation as Daphne had essentially begun living with the Davis' full time. Yes, Daphne would come home occasionally, but rarely stayed for more than a day, and Astoria treasured those days greatly as whenever Daphne was home, she'd never leave her sister's side.

Now ,however, long times apart would be a thing of the past as Astoria and her sister boarded the Hogwarts Express together and Astoria honestly couldn't remember the last time she had felt as happy as when she had found a compartment on the train to sit beside her sister and her two friends Tracey Davis, and Tracey's boyfriend a tall and dark-skinned boy with high cheekbones and long, slanting eyes named Blaise Zabini.

Astoria felt ecstatic as she watched the train slowly pull out of the station, and as platform 9 ¾ began to fade away and the train began to barrel into the lush mountainsides, Astoria couldn't help but wonder what adventures laid ahead. After all, she was on borrowed time and she intended to make the most of it.

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

"Harry," Sirius spoke in a locked and abandoned waiting room at King's Cross Station, "Are you sure you want to do this? Kreacher can just apparate us to Hogsmeade and we can wait for the train to arrive there."

"I know, Sirius," Harry said exhaustedly, it was an argument they had been having about his safety for days, eventually with the help of Remus, Sirius had folded, but it seemed like he was making one last attempt, "I know I'm the 'chosen one', I know I'm the Boy-Who-Lived, but I don't want to miss out on everything a normal student gets to do just because of that. I know I'll be treated differently, but just for a little while longer, I want to pretend I'm normal before the world comes crashing down."

Harry looked up at Sirius, he couldn't put into words how much he loved the man, the person that had rescued him from Godric's Hollow, the person that had made him his son, the person that loved him unconditionally through every success and every screw-up. He had fought so hard for him to have a happy childhood, leaving behind the only land he knew just to ensure Harry's safety. Never in his life did Harry think he could repay him for everything he had done for him. A small smile appeared on Sirius' face once again Remus had placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, "He's going to be alright Padfoot. I'll be on the train as well, plus, he's Prong's son, after all, we can try all we'd like, he's going to find a way to get into trouble regardless."

Sirius chuckled, "The New Age of Marauders off to cause some more chaos at Hogwarts," Sirius then turned to Remus, "Can't say I envy you Moony."

"Are you kidding me?" Remus said with a smirk, "Sure unlike you Padfoot I grew up a bit, but I'm absolutely tingling with excitement to see what this mind thinks up." Then Remus grabbed his shoulder and stared at him, "But not in my classroom, clear?"

"Crystal," Harry said with a smirk.

"Alright Harry," Sirius said with a nod, "Remember, I'm not going to be able to see you for a while, not until the next Hogsmeade weekend. I've made Andromeda the legal proxy until I get exonerated and she's already sent the permission slip so don't let Dumbledore tell you otherwise."

Harry nodded before Sirius continued, "And keep in mind, you have study hard and do your best, unfortunately, your time at Hogwarts can't be all fun and games like it was for your father and me, but don't forget to live a little. If you can, try and find our old treasure the Marauder's Map. You remember the words, right?"

Harry smirked and with his wand held high he spoke, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Sirius barked out a laugh as he nodded before with a bittersweet smile he spoke, "Mischief Managed. Good luck out there Pup, I love you kid."

Harry wrapped Sirius up in a tight hug himself trying to hold back the tears as he spoke, "I love you too, you mangy mutt."

"Come on now Harry," Remus said with a smile, "Let's be off, we don't want to miss the train."

"Right," Harry said with a nod before turning to Sirius, "Until next time."

"Until next time," Sirius said with a nod, "Now wipe those tears off your face and go catch your train, oh yeah and one more thing, go easy on McGonagall okay? Your father, Remus and I put the witch through a lot bless her soul."

Harry just chuckled and behind Remus, the two of them marched out towards the magical barrier before finally Harry had arrived on Platform 9 ¾. It made him feel stupid as he looked around the platform, somehow expecting to see someone he knew, but only to face the obvious results of recognizing nobody. He turned to Remus who nodded, "Alright, I've got to go to the teacher's compartment, suppose I'll be the only one on the train as most tend to live nearby, all the same, you know where to find me. Now you go find a compartment, don't want to be the last one on now, do you?"

Harry nodded and with a final glance at his uncle, he departed towards the student's entrance for the scarlet steam engine, Loki and his cage in one hand, and his trunk in the other. He looked at the Hogwarts Express and with a smile he spoke in his mind, _Hey mom, dad. I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, keep watching over me, alright?_

With that last thought in mind, Harry bordered the train and with all the haste he could muster, he found himself in an empty compartment. He threw his trunk onto the overhead rail, before letting Loki out from his cage much to his delight, and with his Kneazle resting on his chest, Harry leaned against the wall of the Hogwarts Express and watched as with a loud whistle the train departed the platform.

* * *

**(Daphne P.O.V)**

"Wait, wait, wait," Blaise said in disbelief trying to comprehend the story Tracey had just told him, "So you're telling me, that two days ago, not only did you meet Harry Potter, but he asked Daphne out and she said no."

"Yes," Daphne said with a sigh, having to deal with the same reaction from Tracey for the past few days as well, "That is exactly what happened."

"Okay, okay," Blaise said trying to calm himself before he erupted again, "Are you absolutely insane! This isn't like turning down Malfoy, this is Harry freaking Potter, do you understand how powerful your stature would become if you dated him. God, you could probably run the entire school if you wanted to."

"He was a conceited jerk," Daphne growled, "The fame clearly got to his head, thinking he can just have anything he wants, it was absolutely disgusting."

"Okay fair," Blaise spoke, "But counter-point, he's Harry Potter! You know, the Boy-Who-Lived, only person to ever survive the killing curse, not to mention the itty-bitty fact that he killed You-Know-Who! Of course, he's conceited! If I had killed the Dark Lord I'd make sure everybody knew it too."

Daphne simply shook her head. She loved Blaise and Tracey, they had formed a little against the Dark Lord coalition in their primarily supporter filled house. They would play their part to avoid ridicule, but neither Daphne nor Blaise really cared about Pure-Blood superiority, hell Tracey was a half-blood and she was her best-friend and Blaise was even dating her. But Blaise's opinion about Potter was getting under her skin.

Yes, he was cute, no more than cute, Potter was aggravatingly attractive. His soul piercing green eyes, his messy hair that it took all her willpower not to want to run her hands through. He was tall and tan, not to mention that when Daphne had bumped into him she had felt like she had run into a wall of pure lean muscle. But, he was arrogant, the way he just gave her that annoying nickname, how he asked her out with the expectation that she'd say yes as if he had never been told no before, it infuriated her.

Plus, Daphne didn't have time for dating, she had one goal and one goal only, dating would just get in the way of her already limited free-time that was dedicated to reading every single healing-based book in the Hogwarts library. The fact that her sister was sitting right beside her only strengthen her resolve. Dating, getting married, having kids, all of that could wait until she was certain Astoria was safe. She had walked out on her family, Astoria was all she had, and she'd be dammed if she lost her to some stupid curse.

However, before Daphne could even give Blaise a retort the compartment door swung open and standing there was one of her least favorite people to walk the earth. A slender boy with rather sharp and pointed features. As if he needed to appear cockier than he seemed, he leaned against the door of the compartment, and ran his pale hands through his sleek white-blonde hair as he eyed the members of the compartment, "Greengrass, Zabini," He spoke curtly.

"Nice to see you too, Malfoy," Tracey muttered beneath her breath.

"Did you say something Half-Blood?" Draco muttered with boredom.

Daphne watched as Blaise' hand began turning to a clutched fist, but thankfully Tracey had placed a hand on her boyfriend before he did something rash. Draco smirked once more before Daphne spoke, "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Aw come on beautiful, don't be that way," Draco spoke slyly, "I was thinking to myself that maybe you had realized you made a mistake last year rejecting me and over the summer you've come to accept that. So I was considering giving you another shot, what do you say?"

"Save it, Malfoy," Daphne snarled, "I'd have to be blind, deaf, and dumb to ever fall for you. Go bother Parkinson or somebody who cares."

"You're going to regret that Greengrass," Draco said with a wicked look, "Come on Crabbe, Goyle, let's get out of here, clearly Potter's not in this compartment either."

With a quick turn, the compartment door slid shut behind him and Tracey couldn't help but chuckle, "Cold blooded, even for the Ice Queen. Why do you think Malfoy was looking for Potter?"

"I don't know, and I don't care," Daphne said with a shrug, "I imagine they'll make fast friends, they're both too arrogant for their own good."

"Malfoy and Potter being friends," Blaise said with a shudder, "That's a frightening thought."

Once again, Daphne simply shrugged before turning once more to her sister who was looking at her with concern. Daphne smiled as she placed a hand on her younger sister's shoulder, "Don't worry okay? Everything's going to be fine. Malfoy's all talk anyway."

* * *

**(Michael P.O.V)**

Michael was currently weaving through the corridors of the train trying to find an open compartment, the final words of his mother at King's Cross Station still ringing heavily in his head, "Micha, my brilliant boy," His mother spoke softly, "Please try to stay out of so much trouble this year. You're so smart, I've seen you in the shop with your father, you're brilliant, all you have to do is try. Please try to bring back at least E's this year."

Michael ran his head through is charmed bright blue hair, honestly, sometimes he hated being sorted in Ravenclaw. All his life, his intelligence had been his claim to fame. When he was a kid, his father a muggle mechanic by the name of Henry Corner, and his mother, a Pure-blood witch Rachel Taylor took him to one of those awful gifted programs that had opened up at his school. Had he known that it was a test, Michael would have bombed it intentionally, but they had convinced him it was a game.

It was a bunch of misshaped wooden logs, that under careful evaluation and placement could be meshed together to form a perfect cube. The faster someone could solve it, the higher their I.Q was. Like an idiot, Michael tried, and as soon as he realized his evaluators face upon finishing the cube he knew something was wrong. Based on the time it had taken him to solve the puzzle, he was determined to have an IQ in the range of 145-150, well within the genius range.

That was when his life had taken a turn for the worse, suddenly, nothing he did was ever good enough. Every grade he'd bring home that wasn't perfect was a call upon his lack of effort, his lack of work ethic. His mother had tried to be more understanding, but his father was not having it. His old man was one of those, 'I never went to university and you shouldn't squander your potential' types of people and it had created a strong rift between his father and him.

It was something his father could never understand about him, Michael didn't care about going to college, and on the day, he found out he was a wizard, he didn't care much for doing well at Hogwarts either. He loved building things, he used to love working in his dad's mechanic shop, he had a gift for it, and all he wanted was for one day to inherit the business from his dad.

His family wasn't having it however, his mom had dreams of him becoming an unspeakable, the cream of the crop of all researchers who worked for the Ministry of Magic. Incredibly skilled wizards who worked in the arts of time-travel or the studies of death and the afterlife. His father coming from the muggle world had aspirations for him like becoming a lawyer or a doctor, something with prestige. They could never understand that all Michael wanted was to work with his hand and bring objects to life.

Michael had stopped at the bathroom compartment of the train and slowly washed his face. He smiled as he saw his bright blue hair, he used to have black hair, but he felt it was far too standard and learned the spell to charm it blue. He ran his fawn-colored hand through his hair adjusting his top knot before washing away the crust from his light brown eyes. His owl, Athena squawked loudly as the Hogwarts Express ran over a bumpy bit of rail, and slowly he stuck his hand into the cage to calm his beautiful screech owl and smiled as she nipped affectionately at his fingers.

"Don't worry Athena," Michael whispered, "When we get close to Hogwarts, I'll let you fly the rest of the way."

Athena hooted merrily and slowly, Michael left the bathroom compartment on the lookout for a place to sit for the remainder of the trip. Initially, he was hoping to find Terry, or Anthony, or somebody from his Ravenclaw year, but when he did stumble across the compartment it was completely full. He wanted to stick around, but he felt sick to his stomach as he watched Terry eye down the girl who Michael was convinced was the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts.

Her warm amber eyes, her long and curly auburn hair, her kind smile and adorable laugh, Susan Bones completely drove him crazy. It irritated him, his crush of Susan hadn't been a secret to his fellow third-year boys, and yet despite knowing his feeling for her, Terry was flirting with her and worse, she was responding. Which I mean, of course, she was. Despite Michael's burning rage against Terry at that moment, he couldn't deny that Terry was a handsome bloke, he was a straight O student, and he was a genuinely nice guy while he on the other hand, well it put it nicely, he was a bit of a troublemaker.

Before anyone noticed him, Michael swallowed down his hurt and began to move on towards other compartments. The first one he saw was a compartment consisting of Granger, Brown, and the Patil Twins, and instantly Michael thought, _Pass. _It wasn't that Hermione was insufferable like Snape had called her, she was nice enough, and won a lot of points for their house, it was just that she was so strict and hardly any fun to be around at all. Then there was the ungodly gossip circle of Lavender and the Patil sisters and Christ, Michael had made the mistake of sitting near them in the library once and he had sincerely wondered if jumping out the window from that height would kill him.

Finally, however, he found a compartment near the back of the train that was nearly empty. It only had one student in it, and a cat. From the outside of the compartment, Michael was certain he had never seen the boy before, he had a keen eye for faces, and never before had he seen the emerald-eyed boy. Realizing this was most likely his best bet for finding a seat, he slid the compartment door open, and instantly both the boy and his cat jumped to attention. Michael walked in and spoke softly, "Hi, um, the name's Michael Corner, I was wondering if I could sit here, there's no place left."

"Yeah man," the boy said enthusiastically, "I was waiting for someone to show up, I've got plenty of room."

Michael smirked at the boy's attitude before he walked in and slid his trunk beside the mysterious new kid's. He placed Athena on the bunk next to him before pulling a treat from his bag and feeding it to the bird who hooted in satisfaction. "Cool bird," the boy said, "What kind of owl is that?"

"Thanks, her name's Athena, she's actually a screech-" Then Michael looked up at the boy and instantly he felt his jaw drop in disbelief. He had seen celebrities before from professional quidditch players to even Leonardo DiCaprio and Morgan Freeman once, but to see the Boy-Who-Lived in his compartment was a bit shocking, to put it mildly. Slowly, he closed his jaw and with a questioning look he jested, "Do I know you from somewhere?"

Instead of annoyance the boy just laughed, "Yeah maybe," he said with a shrug, "Supposedly I'm a pretty big deal in the wizarding world."

Michael smirked, "So the great Harry Potter's return to the wizarding world and he brought along a sense of humor."

Harry smiled, "I'll have you know I'm a regular riot. Plus, I guess it's nice to meet someone that doesn't shout my name like a deranged fan."

"Mate," Michael said slowly, "I have a signed poster from the movie Unforgiven by both Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman in my bedroom at home, you're cool and all, but you're not Clint Eastwood cool."

To Michael's amusement, the Boy-Who-Lived began to crack up laughing before he wiped away his tears and smiled, "Fair enough mate, fair enough."

"So," Michael said trying to keep the mood light, "What brings the Boy-Who-Lived back to the magical world?"

"Middle School got boring," Harry said with a shrug, "Magic sounded much more fun."

Michael smirked as he shook his head in amusement, "Potter, I think this is the beginning to a beautiful friendship."

"It could be," Harry said nonchalantly, "But I got a question for you. How do you feel about pranks?"

"How do I feel about pranks," Michael said in fake appalment, "I'll have you know last year I received the second most detentions for pranks behind the great Fred and George Weasley."

Harry chuckled as he lifted his hand, "Well then, let's try to beat them this year."

"I'm in," Michael said with grin taking Harry's hand and shaking it, "Maybe this year won't be so boring after all."

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry wasn't really sure what it was about Michael, but as soon as he had entered the compartment, something had just clicked. The two had talked about muggle movies and quidditch for nearly an hour. Their opinions on their favorite schools of magic and their discussions about their early muggle school years had also taken up a good amount of time as Michael had introduced him to the world of exploding snap.

When the trolley had come around, the two of them had gorged themselves on chocolate frogs and nearly died due to their awful luck with Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Harry had acquaintances back at his old school, and he had a fair share of flings as well, but never had he had such a relaxed and unforced, nearly instantaneous connection with another person. Michael may not have been exactly like him as he for example favored the school of charms while Harry loved DADA, but they had come from a very similar walk of life and Harry was glad to talk to someone who had lived in both the muggle and wizarding world.

However, Harry's fun was cut short when to his great discontent, the compartment door slid open, and standing there was a boy with sleek white-blonde hair and daunting grey eyes being backed by two gorilla looking cronies. Harry had an idea who the blonde may have been, but kept his mouth shut until to his dismay, the boy stepped in like he owned the compartment and called out, "I'm looking for Harry Potter, my father received word that Harry Potter appeared in the ministry registry after a long hiatus from the magical world, anyone in here seen him.

Harry looked at Michael with a tired stare as he rolled his eyes causing Michael to smirk before Harry turned to face Malfoy. A sinister grin appeared on Malfoy's face as the grey eyed git approached Harry with his outstretched hand, "Welcoming back to the wizarding world Potter, you've probably heard of me before, the names Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. You've been gone from the wizarding world a while, I'd be glad to show you around, make sure you don't consort with the wrong kind of ilk. We elites need to stick together after all."

"Malfoy, huh?" Harry spoke maliciously, "Yeah, I've heard about you and your father. I heard that over night you lost all control over the Black Family fortune, that must have hurt an 'elite' such as yourself."

Malfoy flinched, and Harry continued cultivating an extremely cunning lie, "You know, when I stopped at Gringotts, I learned a very curious thing, somehow, I became the future holder of the Black Family Vaults, which means if my calculations are correct, the Potter Family holdings are for above a small insignificant family like yours."

A look of blistering rage filled Draco's face as Harry kept a content and lazy grin on his face as he spoke, "So yeah, you might be an 'elite', but I'm so far above you that it would disgust me to even shake your hand. How about you try to get your money up to my level before you come and talk to me again."

"How dare you!" Malfoy barked lifting his wand, "My father has the ear of the Minister for Magic himself, the Malfoy family is one of the most powerful names in all of the wizarding world, how dare you talk down to me."

"Put the wand down Malfoy before you get hurt," Harry said boredom lacing his voice, "Let me ask you something. If the Potter family made a sizable donation to both the Ministry and the Daily Prophet and asked it to voice concerns over the fact a man so weak he fell susceptible to the Dark Lord's imperious curse, the same Dark Lord who died at the hands of an infant, was guiding the direction of the Ministry, how long do you think your father would stay in power?"

"You see the funny thing about having money and power is," Harry started, "That you feel so in charge, until another person with even more money and power shows up. This is a warning Malfoy, tread carefully, because if I wanted to, I could destroy your entire family."

The vein in Malfoy's forehead looked about ready to pop, but the calm and easy expression never left Harry's face. The stare down lasted for nearly a minute, and Harry had found it hard to keep a straight face due to the fact that Michael was damn near close to exploding with laughter. However, eventually, Malfoy blinked and with a huff, he spun on his heels towards his gorilla sized goons, "Crabbe! Goyle! We're leaving!"

"Have a good school year Malfoy!" Harry called out teasingly as he watched the heir of the Malfoy family storm away. Harry didn't like Malfoy, but he honestly as of now at least didn't want to destroy him. He didn't really want to destroy his mother either, according to both Sirius and Andromeda she had never officially taken the mark, and more importantly, she was a Black after all. No, the only person Harry wanted from the family was Malfoy Sr. though that didn't mean he couldn't have some fun tormenting the death eater's spawn.

"That was incredible," Michael said with a laugh, "God, Malfoy's been a pain in the ass for two years now. I'm so glad I got to see someone put him in his place."

"Yeah," Harry said with a shrug, "I don't really care that much about money or the wealth of my friends, but bullies really piss me off."

"You Mr. Potter," Michael said tossing Harry another pumpkin pasty, "Are quite the character."

"I try, Corner, I try."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, this was a super eventful chapter. Normally, I try not to have that many P.O.V switches, but this time was a bit of a special occassion as I was trying to introduce the new cast of characters. In the future, I plan to limit it to three at best. Next, to answer a question I'm sure I'll be getting if I don't address it, the reason Malfoy knew Harry was coming back to Hogwarts was due to the fact Harry had to register is Kneazle with the ministry. His name set of flags throughout the ministry and that is how Malfoy's dad learned about Potter and told Draco.**

**Now, I hope you've enjoyed how I wrote Harry's relationship with Michael. I read that an overwhelming amount of you wanted new friends for Harry and that made me super happy as that's what I wanted as well. I know that the typical route for genius is that angry loner because nobody understands him, but I'm basing Michael's character slightly off of Shikamaru from Naruto who's incredibly intelligent and Lazy. That way Harry has a brains in his operation that isn't Hermione and I fell he can be the new Sirius to Harry's James. **

**I also hope you enjoyed the interaction with Draco and Harry, and I hope the Astoria P.O.V helped create some intrigue in both the Greengrass sisters' character arcs. Overall, if you enjoyed this chapter please be sure to Follow, Favorite and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	6. Chapter VI: The Sorting Hat

**A/N: Oh boy, the moment we've been waiting for, it's sorting time! Please be sure to Follow, Favorite and Review! Now enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter VI: The Sorting Hat

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Compared to the uniform he used to wear to muggle school, the Hogwarts uniform was far more comfortable. Although, it was probably due to the vast amount of charming that Andromeda had done to it before he left for Hogwarts, including things like cooling and heating charms and a silk fabric charm that just made his oxfords feel delightful.

All the same, proper uniform attire was never something he was big on, and when he returned to his compartment, he saw that his end result was vastly different from Michael's. Whereas Michael had his sleeves rolled down and cuffed just above his wrists, Harry's sleeves were rolled up to the elbow. Compared to Michael's beautiful tied Windsor knot, Harry's tie was loose and hanging off his neck similar to a sitcom dad after he got home from work. In fact, the only thing Harry had in terms of looking 'appropriate' over Michael was the fact that unlike his new friend, his hair had remained a normal color.

Athena, as promised by Michael apparently, had been released a couple of miles before they had arrived at the Hogsmeade Station which Harry couldn't help but notice depressed Loki slightly as he was having great fun looking at the screech owl. All the same, the fun on the Hogwarts Express came to a halt as a boy with fiery-red hair, freckles, and a bright red badge with the letters HB emblazoned on his robes entered the compartment, "Hello," he called out in a formal manner, "Please be sure your robes are on in order to look appropriate for the sorting ceremony before leaving the train. Leave your trunks and familiars on the train as they will be transported to your dormitory accordingly. The carriages to the castle are located just to the left of the Hogwarts Express, please no dillydallying there is much to be done."

Then, like he was never there, the tall and thin red-head left the compartment without a second glance leaving Harry completely lost as he turned to Michael, "Who was that?"

"The most annoying kid at Hogwarts," Michael started, "This year's Head Boy, Percy Weasley. He and his girlfriend Penelope are absolute nightmares. It's hard to believe that Fred and George come from the same family as that egomaniacal man."

Harry smirked, "So essentially, you're not a fan."

"That's one way to put it," Michael said.

Harry ushered Loki into his cage much to his Kneazle's disappointment before he squatted down and spoke, "Sorry bud, guess I have to leave you here. I'll see you after the sorting ceremony and I'll try to sneak you some food if I can."

If possible, Loki had made what looked like a pout before eventually making the heartwarming gesture of licking Harry's finger and curling up to go to sleep. With Loki's cage resting atop his trunk ensuring the poor cat didn't get mixed up, Harry and Michael began waiting in line. When he and Michael had finally reached their exit, they jumped out of the cramped space eagerly, and as soon as Harry looked up, he felt a smile grow on his face as from the compartment just ahead of his, he saw the beautiful honey-blonde hair and icy blue eyes he had been thinking about since the day in Diagon Alley hop off the train.

Instantly, Harry began walking over with Michael trailing him calling out, "Um, Potter? The carriages are that way."

"Relax, I got to do something real quick," He said waving off his friend before Daphne had come clearly into view, "Oi!" He called out, "Princess!"

Like a bullwhip, Daphne had turned to face him with a scowl etched on her face, which only brought a larger smirk to his face. He recognized that she was walking with Tracey as well as a younger girl with raven hair and kaleidoscopic eye, and a well-built, tall, and dark-skinned male. Initially, Harry had wondered if he was her boyfriend, but seeing as the boy's hand was currently locked with Tracey's, his worry died down.

"Glad you could make it Potter," Tracey spoke happily.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Harry said with a smug, "After all, what would the Princess do without me all year."

Tracey tried to hold back her laughter as with a starstruck look her boyfriend lifted out his hand to meet him, "Uh, hi, Mr. Potter, I- uh, I'm Blaise, big fan of your, uh, work."

A wry smile appeared on his face as he shook the boy's hand, "Just breathe man, I'm Harry, nice to meet you."

"It's also good to see you again Princess," Harry said with a smile, "Missed me?"

"Hardly," Daphne responded with a glare.

"Shame," Harry said with a shrug, "Anyway, with Hogsmeade weekends starting this year, I was wondering what your thoughts are on you and me going together?"

"Nothing's changed since last time," Daphne said with an icy tone, "Not a chance Potter." Quickly, she turned to Blaise and Tracey grabbing their wrists before she spoke, "Go see Hagrid, Astoria. You two," She said glaring at her friends, "With me."

Tracey couldn't help but laugh at Daphne's display, and Blaise looked at the blonde with the same looking of shock that seemed evident on Michael's face as he was dragged away by his girlfriend towards the carriage. He turned around to face Michael who was staring at him with his jaw dropped before Harry spoke, "Close your mouth or your going to start catching flies."

"I'm sorry," Michael just said, "I'm just in shock of what I just saw. You just referred to the Slytherin Ice Queen as Princess and didn't even flinch when she shot you down. I really got to know if you're just incredibly brave, or absolutely insane."

"Both probably," Harry said with a shrug as he and Michael began walking towards the carriages, "But, I'll get her to say yes eventually, she's into me."

"Yeah, mate, you are absolutely insane," Michael said with a chuckle.

"Give me until the end of the year, fourth-year max," Harry said as he walked beside his friend, hands resting behind his head, "I'll definitely get her to say yes."

"10 galleons it doesn't happen," Michael said with a chuckle.

"You're on," Harry said joining his friend in laughter as the two began to walk towards the castle.

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry was pretty upset when his walk towards the carriages was interrupted by a rather large man who introduced himself as Hagrid. He had explained to Harry that Dumbledore had wanted Harry experiencing Hogwarts the first time with the rest of the first timers and so he was pulled away from Michael and directed towards the wasn't too happy about it, but he tried not to take it out on Hagrid, the man had nearly tackled him with a hug and the relief the man had on his face had sent a chill down his spine as he heard the man whisper rapidly, "I'm so glad you're okay, thank goodness your safe."

"Of course I'm safe," Harry had said, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well it's just, after your parents, I had arrived at the cottage to check on you, but Sirius wouldn't let me have you. When Dumbledore had told me you were safe, I couldn't stop the tears. I was so glad I didn't let you down."

"It's okay Hagrid," Harry had said with warmth to the half-giant, "I appreciate your concern, but I'm alright see?"

"Right," Hagrid said with a nod, "But goodness Harry, you look so much like your father, except for your eyes, you have your mother's eyes."

It was at that moment that Harry had softened greatly towards the Half-Giant. Harry had been told how protective Hagrid had felt over him when he was a baby by Sirius. How loyal Hagrid was towards the cause of defeating Voldemort and how much it had hurt him when his parents had died. Harry didn't know much else about the half-giant except for what Sirius and Remus had told him about the days of the first wizarding war, but the two marauders had held Hagrid in high regard, and that made the man worthy of Harry's respect in his eyes.

Still, despite the respect he felt for the man, he still wasn't overjoyed when he awkwardly had to squeeze his relatively large body into a tiny rowboat. But his attitude changed slightly when he realized who his boatmates were. The first was not something he was too excited about, it was a first-year girl that was staring at Harry with googly large dark eyes and was constantly running her hands through her long curly black hair. She had introduced herself as Romilda Vane, and Harry had to try super hard to care as they were stuck in the same boat together.

The second boatmate was the real reason for Harry's change of attitude. Astoria Greengrass, the Ice Princess' little sister. Harry couldn't help but smirk as he spoke, "You're Daphne's little sister, right?"

"Yeah," Astoria nodded, "That's me, and you must be Harry Potter."

"That didn't sound too enthusiastic," Harry said with a chuckle.

"No, don't get me wrong, I'm freaking out internally that I'm sitting next to the savior of the wizarding world, but I can't exactly like you because you drive my sister crazy," Astoria said in a practiced calm voice.

"Trust me kiddo," Harry said with a grin, "Your sister drives me crazy too."

This time Astoria chuckled before she scowled, "Damn it. You weren't supposed to make me laugh."

"I have that effect on people," Harry said pleasantly, "Your loyalty to your sister is admirable really, but if you want to be friends, don't let that stop you."

"You'd want to be friends with me?" Astoria said with a confused look.

"Sure," Harry said with a shrug, "I kind of have a thing for making friends with people who don't look like they're about to explode when they see me. Makes me feel a bit more normal."

Astoria looked about ready to respond, but she ended up jumping slightly as the sudden movement of the boat shocked her and nearly made her lose her balance. Acting quickly, Harry lunged forward, grabbing the young girl's arm and helping her back onto the boat before he chuckled, "Careful there."

"Thanks," Astoria said with a small smile, "That would have been a pretty rotten way to start the school year."

"It would have been memorable that's for sure."

"I'm sitting next to the Boy-Who-Lived on a small magical rowboat," Astoria said happily, "I think that's memorable enough."

* * *

**(Astoria P.O.V)**

Astoria couldn't help but laugh as she listened to Harry talk about his time in muggle school. Of course, the probing questions were asked by Romilda Vane, Astoria had much more pressing questions like what his favorite candy was. Astoria was pleasantly surprised when his answer was licorice wands (same as hers). She had also asked what his most anticipated subject was, and Harry had answered that it was Defense Against the Dark Arts, which Astoria guessed in retrospect seemed pretty obvious.

Soon, however, the entire fleet including Harry had gone quite and both she and Harry watched the castle come into view in complete awe. It's large grey walls, and pointed towers looming over the dark sky as the moon reflected on the black lake, it was truly a sight behold, and while Astoria held a face of complete wonder, it didn't escape her that a small glint of a mischievous smile had appeared on Harry's face.

It hadn't taken long until the rowboats had arrived at the port, and while the first-years and Harry were all required to follow Hagrid, she and Harry had made quick work losing Romilda Vane. All the questions about Harry's childhood and probing about how it was like growing up an orphan had started to bother her, and she couldn't even imagine how Harry must have felt about the whole thing.

Soon though, the thoughts of Romilda had left her mind as Hagrid had stopped at the largest set of beautifully gilded gates she had ever seen. The large man tapped his pink umbrella, something Astoria had thought was unusual, but due to the sheer size of the man had decided it was better to keep her mouth shut, to the gate, and like a well-oiled machine, the gates busted open without a screech.

It wasn't long until Astoria's jaw had wanted to hit the floor in amazement as she and Harry followed by the other first-years were escorted through the halls of dancing painting, moving staircases, and saluting sets of armor. Astoria had never wanted the march to end, but eventually, the crowd came to a halt in front of a massive set of wooden double doors. Astoria could hear a lot of chatter behind those doors, and regardless of Hagrid's announcement, she had deduced that this place was without a doubt the Great Hall.

Hagrid had once again pointed his umbrella towards the door, and with thundering applause, the door swung open revealing large clusters of students sitting at color coordinate tables each with a banner swinging above them. From left to right the banners hung with the symbols of a snake, eagle, badger, and lion, and sitting there, right beneath the Slytherin table, the place she had hoped would be her home for the next seven years, was her sister sending her the ever so infrequent smile.

Unfortunately, her smile had faded when Astoria realized that Harry had also made direct eye contact with her. The while Daphne glared at him, a smirk had become plastered on Harry's face until her sister had turned her nose up at him and faced away with a huff. For a moment, but only a moment, Astoria had actually felt bad for Harry. Yes, Daphne was correct, he was a little conceited, but he wasn't exactly rude, and more importantly to Astoria, Harry was funny.

The peace in the Great Hall didn't last for long however as suddenly, Astoria began to hear whispers, "Who's the tall kid with the rest of them?" to "Does Hogwarts take transfer students?" and then finally, much to Harry's seeming indifference, the chattering amongst the crowd turned into a unified mutter of surprise, "That's Harry Potter!"

Astoria actually felt sympathy for Harry as she watched the Boy-Who-Lived close his eyes and take a deep breath trying to roll off the multitude of speculation he was overhearing regarding where he had been. _In a way, _Astoria thought to herself, _He's kind of like me_. Being the center of attention despite not wanting it was not something Astoria wasn't completely unfamiliar with. Ever since she had been diagnosed with the Blood-Curse, everyone around her that knew of it had treated her differently. Even Tracey and Blaise, Daphne's two best-friends had looked at her like a wounded puppy, and while she loved her older sister, her overprotectiveness of her was not always what she needed.

She was a lot like Harry in that way, in the end, all the two of them wanted to be was normal, but the world would never allow that. The attention, however, was taken off Harry as an extremely old and greatly bearded man rose from the head of the Staff Table. The Greatest Wizard to ever live had lifted his wand to his throat, and with an amplified voice, every head turned to face him, "As many of you have noticed, it is true that Harry Potter has returned to the wizarding world. He has received private tutoring from a variety of greatly skilled witches and wizards and will be joining Hogwarts with the rest of his age group as a third-year student."

The crowd once again erupted in cheer, and Astoria watched with a grin on his face as Harry turned to his blue-haired friend he had been seen with on the Hogwarts express and rolled his eyes at the praise for him doing essentially nothing. However, Dumbledore continued speaking and the attention of the room once again returned to him, "As Mr. Potter here has two years over the other students, it is only appropriate to sort him first." Dumbledore then turned to a tall rather severe-looking woman in emerald green robes and a stereotypical witch hat before he spoke again, "Professor McGonagall, if you would be so kind?"

"Of course Professor Dumbledore," McGonagall said in a heavy Scottish accent, "Harry Potter, please step forward."

Astoria watched in curious anticipation as Harry began walking towards the stool. A feeling of pity grew in Astoria's chest as she watched Harry look nervously down at the stool as he tried to brush off the whispers that had been echoing through the hall. Whether Harry knew it or not, and Astoria had suspected he did, wherever he was sorted would shift the power dynamics of the school greatly.

Finally, however, Harry had taken his seat and slowly, an old leather hat that had been sitting on the stool prior was placed atop the Boy-Who-Lived's head, and then creepily, Astoria jumped as the hat sprang to life and spoke. "Interesting!" The hat had shouted, "Very interesting. Another Potter after long last to terrorize the school."

Once again, a mischievous grin appeared on Harry's face, but Astoria watched as the hat spoke, "Not a bad mind Mr. Potter, not a bad mind indeed. Your apparent loyalty also has Helga up in a tiff, she wants you in the house of the Badger there is no doubt. However, more loudly, as if they were screaming in my non-existent ear, Godric and Salazar are having quite the row. Yes, you are ambitious, you have quite a goal in mind, though I suggest you tread it carefully, but more so, I sense courage. You are burdened with great knowledge Mr. Potter and it will take courage to see it through. Yes indeed, there is only one place for a person with the courage to move forward despite knowing the path is full of hardship. Better be, Gryffindor!"

A bright grin appeared on Harry's face and Astoria joined the crowd in clapping, well the crowd minus the Slytherin table, of course, hearing that they had barely missed out on the hero of the wizarding world obviously rubbed them the wrong way. Astoria watched as Harry's robes had become christened with the Lion's sigil above the heart and smiled for her new friend as the colors of his tie changed to the beautiful red and gold.

Suddenly, almost as soon as Harry had popped off the stool, a swarm of Gryffindors, girls mostly, rushed him introducing themselves with lovely smiles and honied words, none of which seemed to be having an effect on Harry as he eyed down his blue-haired friend who had stood up from the Ravenclaw table clapping for him.

"Corner!" Harry called out, "Sorry buddy, looks like we're going to be taking the House Cup from you this year pal."

"Bring it Potter!" was all the blue-haired boy responded with an equally troublesome grin as Harry's. Astoria had been in the school for all of five minutes, and instantly she knew that those two were going to be a problem for anyone who rubbed them the wrong way.

* * *

**(Daphne P.O.V)**

To Daphne, it made perfect sense that Potter was sorted into the Gryffindor. _Home of the Brave, _she scoffed to herself, _Home of the arrogant was much more like it. _She was overwhelmingly happy that her nightmare scenario of Potter being placed in Slytherin hadn't come to pass, and now she was hoping that if Potter had stupidly continued perusing her, she would at least not get so much flack for rejecting him as it was simple house politics. It was no secret to anyone that a Gryffindor and a Slytherin had no business associating with each other.

However, she and Malfoy had seemed to be the only one feeling joyous over the fact Potter wasn't in Slytherin. Clearly, though to Daphne's great surprise, the two had not hit it off like she had expected the two conceited jerks too. Potter had seemingly made a friend amongst Corner, a boy that had always infuriated Daphne due to his natural intelligence possibly being even higher than Granger's, her self-proclaimed rival, and yet the boy never seemed to try. Upon closer inspection though, it made sense, both boys would surely cause nothing but trouble around the school and it made sense that they'd be well associated with one another, of that there was no doubt in Daphne's mind.

Tracey and, however, seemed a bit disappointed that Potter wasn't in there house. Blaise had even spoken, "Shame we didn't get Potter, this house could have used some good press, maybe turn the narrative of Slytherin only producing dark wizards on its head."

"That's what your upset about," Tracey said sulkily, "There goes my hope of Daphne and I go on double dates, I was really rooting for Potter, talked about crushed dreams."

"Are you serious Tracey?" Daphne hissed angrily at her best friend.

"Yeah," Tracey said with a shrug, "Admit it Daph, you're a bit high-strung, I thought Potter would have been good for you. But it looks like that hope is a thing of the past."

"I am not high-strung," Daphne said defensively.

"Case," Tracey started.

"And point," Blaise finished.

"Shut up," Daphne whispered, before she realized who was about to take the next seat for the sorting, "Astoria's up next."

Suddenly, the three Slytherin's grew quite as Professor McGonagall spoke, "Astoria Greengrass!"

Daphne watched with a warm smile as Astoria nervously approached the stool. She couldn't help but feel a warmth in her heart as she watched her baby sister sit on the stool, the nerve-wracking feeling of placement just moments away. Daphne had remembered how it felt, the way her skin tingled, the way her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. It was terrifying, and yet it was the most adrenaline Daphne had ever felt course through her veins.

Astoria had given Daphne one last weak smile which she returned with a genuine smile of her own before the hat was placed over her kaleidoscopic eyes. Daphne had allowed herself to wonder what it would be like having her sister in her house, yes it wouldn't be easy teaching Astoria to keep her mouth shut regarding her non-supremacist blood views in the common room, but the ability to watch over her sister had superseded that by miles.

Daphne couldn't wait to have her sister in her house, the only person in her whole family she had left, but then everything went wrong as with her eyes closed, muttering a silent prayer to any god that would listen she heard the hat call out to her dismay, "Gryffindor!"

Daphne watched in horror as her sister's tie had adopted the red and gold and she felt a chill pass through her body as the eyes of her entire house rested on her. _How is that possible? _Daphne asked herself in disbelief, _How could Astoria, her little sister, have ended up in the Lion's den?_

Daphne wanted to stand up, she wanted to protest, but before she could, the next name had already been called and she watched as her sister, with an equally shocked expression in her eyes, stared at her before being ushered over to her table. Astoria was a Gryffindor, and there was nothing Daphne could do.

* * *

**A/N: Boom! Plot-twist. I know there was a lot of reviews discussing which house Harry should be in, and it was surprisingly split between Gryffindor and Slytherin. I always liked Slytherin Harry stories, but I don't feel it would have made much sense for Harry to end up in Slytherin in this fic. Though I don't want anyone to be concerned, I'm sure Astoria being with him in Gryffindor will stir up some drama and make it a less traditional Gryffindor- Harry story without a doubt. To all of those disappointed with Harry not being placed in their house of choice, just please bear with me here, I intend for Harry to have a friend from each house when he forms the new Marauders and him being in Gryffindor just made more sense to me.**

**Sidenote, I hope you enjoyed the Harry and Astoria friendship and honestly I just really like the perspective Astoria has on her sister and Harry. Also, I don't know about you, but to me, Tracey is hysterical and I love it. Anyways, that's about it, if you enjoyed please be sure to Follow, Favorite and Review! Until next time, Peace!**


	7. Chapter VII: The Lion's Den

**A/N: Honestly, I just worked a double shift before posting this so sorry if there are some grammatical errors, I'm honestly so dead, but I wanted to post something for all of you since I couldn't write yesterday. If you enjoyed this chapter please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review!**

* * *

Chapter VII: The Lion's Den

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry couldn't understand why, but there was flurry of quiet commotion following Astoria's sorting, and Harry felt his blood beginning to boil at every whispered remark, "Her family have all be snakes, she doesn't belong here," said a boy with a thick Irish accent and scruffy clothes, "What was the sorting hat thinking," said a tall boy with a long neck clearly of African descent.

"I don't care what the hat said," A boy who reminded Harry a lot of Percy, but slightly shorter and with more freckles that what must have been his brother, "She'll never be one of us."

Harry wanted to go over and knock some sense into the boys. Yes, he had heard from Sirius that there was some discontent among Slytherins and Gryffindors, but from the way Sirius had always told the stories, it had been painted as the snakes being a group of bullies and the Gryffindor's being the brave and noble people they were, stood up to them. Clearly, Sirius had left out the small detail of the pride of Lions had not exactly been blameless themselves in the rhetoric they were using.

He had felt his heart hurt as from his seat at the Gryffindor table he watched Astoria desperately stare at her sister, pleading with her eyes for Daphne to do something, but the princess couldn't do anything, and Harry had never felt as bad for anyone as he did as Astoria, who to her credit was trying to keep her head up as she began walking over towards the table below the Lion's banner.

The eyes that trailed on the young first year ranged from looks of anger to disapproval, to sheer simple confusion, and Harry watched as Astoria, a tiny and young girl did her best to ignore the looks and move forward towards the end of the table hoping that there she wouldn't be disturbed. As she passed the group of third-year boys who Harry had overheard whispering from, the red-head had even pretended to hiss like a snake to embarrass the poor first-year girl even more.

That's when Harry had enough. Had he joined the school while his own older sister, Tonks, was at Hogwarts, he would have wanted to be sorted into the same house as her too. He could empathize with what Astoria had been feeling, and with no more hesitation, he broke away from the brown-curly haired girl that was attempting to smother him with affection by the name of Lavender Brown and stood in front of the girl.

"Harry?" Astoria whispered in confusion.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked patiently.

"To the end of the table," Astoria said quietly, "It's not hard to tell that I'm not wanted here."

"Alright," Harry said, with a smile, "Let's go."

"What?" Astoria asked in confusion.

"Let's go find a place to sit," Harry repeated with an easy smile on his face.

"Why would you want to sit with a snake spawn like me," Astoria said disheartened, clearly she had heard some of the whisperings.

"Come off it, will you," Harry said as he placed his hand on the shorter girl's shoulder, "We're friends, right?"

There some small whisper of protest Harry had heard being tossed around the table, but Harry didn't care, his words had brought some relief to the little girl and that was all that mattered. Without minding anyone else, Harry allowed Astoria to lead the way towards an empty spot at the table, and together, far from the rest of Gryffindor house, the two sat. Together both he and Astoria watched as the remaining first-years were sorted, and both he and Astoria had made a silent groan when Romilda Vane had been sorted in Gryffindor house as well. Finally, however, the sorting had finished, and with a wave of Dumbledore's wand, the food had appeared all along the long tables, and quickly, both Harry and Astoria got to work filling their plates.

All his life, Tonks had made fun of Harry's ability to eat enough food for a man twice his size, but to Harry's defense, his metabolism had been kicked into overdrive from training, and as Sirius liked to say, he was a growing boy. What had really surprised Harry was the fact that Astoria too could eat like a monster. Harry wasn't sure what Astoria's physical activity was like, but either she had been training for the Olympics due to the fact the girl didn't seem to weigh over 42 kg, at most, or she had been gifted with an incredibly fast metabolism of her own. If it was the latter, Harry would have to admit he was a bit jealous.

Nearing the end of the meal, Astoria had burped loudly, before covering her face in embarrassment and Harry could help but crack up laughing at the small girl's monstrous burp. Harry had known that he liked Astoria from the second they had met on the boat, but his fondness for the little girl only grew over dinner as he had found Astoria quite funny as she had asked a myriad of funny questions that had caused Harry to think of equally witty responses and she had also told Harry one of two wizarding riddles, all of which the answers to had caused Harry to chuckle, at least a little bit.

Overall, the dinner had been nice, but Astoria had clearly overeaten as she looked like she was about ready to wilt, and Harry couldn't help but laugh as Astoria had leaned on him only to try and shake herself awake from the embarrassment she was feeling. Harry simply smiled as he turned to Astoria, "Ate too much short-stack?"

"Wow," Astoria said with fake indignation, "Daphne gets princess as a nickname and I get short-stack, really feeling the love Potter."

"To be fair," Harry said with a smile, "Your sister looks like she came out of a storybook, meanwhile, I just saw you tear apart an entire rack of ribs by yourself, you're not exactly princess material." Then Harry's grin widened, "Plus you're like 4'11" max, short-stack is a fitting nickname."

"I hate you," Astoria said with a mock glare.

"Sorry, the princess has got a much more frightening glare than you short-stack," Harry said as he placed his hand atop Astoria's head and ruffled her hair, which to most girls Harry imagined would annoy them, but instead Astoria chuckled.

The laughter came to a screeching halt however when the door of the Great Hall thundered open, and from the entrance way, a portly little man with rumpled grey hair that was covered by a lime green bowler hat entered the room. To his left another man with neatly parted, almost dangerously straight grey hair and a narrow toothbrush mustache wearing one of the darkest suits Harry had ever seen. Finally, to his right was a woman that Harry had recognized well from pictures and Remus' rants on the bitch. Harry sent her a hateful glare, though she didn't see it as she walked clearly enamored by the man in the lime-green hat. Her pink cardigan and skirt only seemed to bring out more of her toad-like qualities and the look on Remus' face from the High Table only confirmed Harry's suspicion, the woman was none other than Delores Umbridge.

"That's Barty Crouch and Delores Umbridge," Astoria said aloud in wonder, "And that's minister Fudge in the middle, I wonder what they're doing here?"

Following behind the three were two figures, and one brought a lot more joy to his heart than the other. The first was none other than Tonks, dressed in her newly christened Auror robes, and she was absolutely brimming with pride. But the second one Harry had feared would give him nightmares. Alastor Moody, Harry knew of Tonks' trainer by name very well, but seeing him in person was something else. His face was hard, looking like it had been roughly carved from wood, and his body was covered in scars, one of which being over his nose where a chunk of it was missing.

However, it wasn't even the clawed foot wooden leg that gave Harry the most pause about the man, it was his eyes, or rather eye. One of the man's eyes was completely normal, it was small and dark, but normal. The other, however, was a vivid electric-blue the brimmed with magic as it moved around independently of his normal one. Harry had wondered why Tonks had always referred to her trainer as mad-eye, but one look at the man and Harry wondered no more.

Harry looked up at the high-table in wonder as the Minister for Magic began to whisper in Dumbledore's ear. With his message seemingly complete, Dumbledore stood and once again spoke, "As many of you know, Sirius Black, a suspected ally of the dark in the great war had never been captured after his suspected betrayal of the Potters that fateful night. The Ministry of Magic would like to assure the entire school, and specifically Mr. Potter that the Ministry will not allow any harm to come to him or any of the other students."

Fudge nodded in pride as he stood and cleared his throat, "With Harry Potter's miraculous return to the Wizarding World, not only do we get to welcome our hero back home, but we have been gifted another chance at apprehending Sirius Black. It is the Ministry's belief that Harry Potter remains a target for Black, and for the safety of all students, the Ministry has ordered dementors to guard the grounds of the school, and Aurors will be stationed in Hogsmeade for all student's protection."

"Once again," Fudge spoke, "I want to assure all students that Hogwarts is still the safest place in all of the wizarding world, and we are only taking protective measures to ensure the safety of all our students. Thank you for your time, and I wish you the best on your upcoming term. Study hard," Fudge said with an aggravatingly fake and practiced smile, "Perhaps the next Minister for Magic rests among this crowd."

An awkward applause filled the Great Hall as the Minister for Magic departed and both Remus and Tonks had sent Harry a knowing grin, as only they were aware of the truth. Harry wasn't worried however, America was out of the Ministry's jurisdiction, and while Harry planned to work tirelessly to see his godfather exonerated, Harry knew that Sirius getting apprehended too early without building up a proper case to defend him wouldn't be productive. No first he and Remus needed to find the rat, Pettigrew would pay, no matter what.

Slowly, as soon as the Minister and his entourage had left, Harry had reached for the tower of Ice Cream, attempting to get a scoop for dessert but was stopped when he felt not just Astoria, but the entire school staring at him, "What?" Harry whispered to Astoria.

"Black betrayed your parents," Astoria said in a hushed whisper, "And now the ministry believes he'll try and come after you, how are you not afraid?"

"Nothing to really be afraid of," Harry said with a shrug, "I mean, we've got Dumbledore watching over us, right? Plus, I'm no slouch myself, and honestly, between you and me, I don't think Sirius did it. He was a member of the Order of the Phoenix, after all, he even fought Voldemort-,"

Suddenly, Astoria flinched, and Harry gave her a sympathetic smile, "Sorry, the Dark Lord more than once. It doesn't make sense for him to have betrayed my family. Even if he did, I suspect it must have been through the Imperius Curse of some other means, all I know is I'd like to get some answers at a trial."

"I don't know if I could be so calm about all of this if I were you," Astoria said with a shiver, "I'd be terrified if he were after me."

"Don't worry about me short-stack," Harry said with a grin, "I can take care of myself just fine."

* * *

**(Dumbledore P.O.V)**

There weren't that many times that Dumbledore was grateful that the current Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge was a complete oaf, but in the case of Harry Potter, he was thankful for the man's gullibility. When Voldemort had been defeated and Harry had "disappeared" a lot of questions were needed to be answered. The most important being, where was Harry Potter?

It was a question that even Dumbledore at the time hadn't known the answer to, yes, he knew he was with Sirius, but that could hardly do for a response, so instead he concocted a lie. Fearing that Voldemort or his followers would retaliate on a defenseless child, Dumbledore had told the Minister he had sent Harry Potter to America until tensions in England had cooled slightly from the first war. He had promised that he would ensure that Harry received a proper magical education and that when the time was right Harry would return to Hogwarts where he belonged.

He was happy that the Minister and the Ministry as a whole had bought the explanation without question due to Dumbledore's stature and the overwhelming relief that the war had essentially been won for the light. Not many things had gone right in Dumbledore's life, his estranged relationship with his family, the battle he had with Grindelwald, the man he was closer than brothers with, the death of his sister which he feared had been at his hands. Yes, Dumbledore's life was full of misfortune, but for once that fates had smiled upon him as Harry Potter had indeed returned to the wizarding world, and his placement in Gryffindor would hopefully mean he'd be more likely to listen to Dumbledore and follow his instructions, and if not Dumbledore himself, judging by the prideful smile Minerva currently was trying desperately to hide on her face, perhaps Harry Potter would listen to her. After all, both James and Lily had been especially important to Minerva and he had no doubt that even with the witch's insistence to be fair-minded, Potter would be one of her favorites.

Yes, Dumbledore was happy. It had been shaky at first, but everything had finally begun to go according to plan, now all Dumbledore had to do was win the boy's undying loyalty, and he had just the thing. When the time came, of course, he would use his power to exonerate Sirius Black, and on top of that, Dumbledore pondered to himself just how overjoyed Harry would be when on Christmas day, he had received one of the only surviving relics of his father, the youngest Peverell brother's deathly hallow itself, the cloak of invisibility.

* * *

**(Astoria P.O.V)**

Astoria was thankful that Harry hadn't left her side as the walked out of the Great Hall. She had never felt so terrified as when she had heard the hat call out, "Gryffindor!" Her whole family had been Slytherins, and while where her parents had been sorted hadn't mattered much to her given her father's treatment of Daphne and her mother's not existent resistance to her father's hostility, the fact she wouldn't be spending the next at least four years at her sister's side had hurt her inside and made her feel frightened.

Somehow, the hat had known about her Blood Curse, it was the strength and bravery she had shown in refusing to allow the impending news of her death to control her that had solidified her placement, and yet despite being sorted into the home of the brave, Astoria had felt frightened beyond belief as she stumbled towards the Lion's table. She had heard whispers of awful comments as she walked to find an empty spot away from everyone at the table, the leader of this cause being none other than a boy Astoria had recognized from Daphne's descriptions and the Daily Prophet news article as Ronald Weasley.

Daphne had written to Astoria all about the 'Heir of Slytherin' situation that had been going on at Hogwarts last year. Both she and her sister had spent most of Christmas break along with Tracey and Blaise discussing who it could be. At first, it seemed like nothing big, that was until people had begun becoming petrified, and then to the horror of the entire school, a witch, a pure-blood witch as it had been described in the Prophet, though Astoria failed to see how that really mattered, had died. That witch, was none other than Ginevra Weasley.

Astoria had listened to how the death had shifted the power of the entire school. Yes, the twins Fred and George Weasley had always been popular among the students for their spectacular pranks, but now all members of the Weasley family ran unopposed to do anything as from what Daphne had said, nobody wants to get involved with a group of hot-headed Weasleys who were currently grieving. Clearly, Ronald Weasley, the now youngest of the six Weasley children had solidified his grief into hatred of all things Slytherin, and judging by the harsh comments Astoria had heard whispered to Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan, Astoria was not exempted from that group.

Percy Weasley, the Head Boy of Hogwarts who Astoria was happy to see seemingly annoyed Harry as much as he did her had begun to lead the students towards Gryffindor Tower. Both she and Harry had a look of pure wonder on their face as they walked through the moving staircases and trodden very carefully as Percy had told them of the 'trap step' on one of the floorboards. They had passed a cluster of pictures and another set of armor that stood differently from the ones present at the Hogwarts' entrance. However, eventually, they had arrived at the main portrait.

It was a painting of an incredibly overweight woman wearing a pink silk dress with long curly black hair and a heavy amount of painted on make-up. "Good evening my lady, the password is Flibbertigibbet" Percy had said very aristocratically, and with a nod from the painted lady, the portrait swung open and behind it, a large hole that led into the Gryffindor Common Room.

It was a cozy round room with a roaring yellow fire and was chock full of squashy armchairs, loveseats, and elongated sofas. There were many windows that looked out onto the grounds of the school, and above the roaring fire was the portrait of a large lion in mid-roar. The crowd of students was just about to disperse when Percy had called once again, "Professor McGonagall will be arriving here shortly to induct the new students and show them their dormitories. I will be off towards the Head Boy's chamber," Percy said with great importance causing Astoria to have to bite her tongue to stop her from laughing at Harry's heavy eye roll, "Do try to not get into any trouble until Professor McGonagall arrived. Are we clear… Fred and George."

"Yes of course," One of the Weasley Twins said with a forced smile.

"What do you take us for ol' brother of ours," The second twin finished.

There was no point in trying to distinguish which twin was which, Astoria upon seeing them had determined it would be a fruitless endeavor as each sported long flaming-red hair and freckles. While the twins were shorter than Percy, it didn't do much good in setting the two of them apart and Astoria had a feeling it would lead to a fair share of shenanigans.

With one last glare from Percy, the head boy left the common room and as the portrait hole closed behind him, Astoria once again felt all the eye turn onto her. The crowd slowly began to depart, finding their seats and understanding that she had to wait for Professor McGonagall, she had found an empty armchair and plopped down in it. She watched as Harry slowly walked around the common room, looking at the portraits and began staring out the window at the vast Hogwarts grounds.

For a moment, everything felt normal, until a rather tall figure loomed over her, Ronald Weasley, "Get out of my chair snake," Ron spoke in annoyance.

Astoria may have felt nervous, but she didn't get placed into Gryffindor house by being a coward. Trying to be as non-confrontational as possible, she rose from her seat as she spoke, "Sorry, I didn't know it had your name of it. You can have it back but there's no need to be so rude about it."

"And why should I be polite to someone like you?" Ron questioned angrily, "You're the Ice Queen's sister, right? Clearing being polite isn't exactly something your family is familiar with."

"Don't talk bad about my sister," Astoria said stepping towards Ron angrily, "She's a better person than you could ever hope to be."

"Fat chance," Ron said pushing her out of the way, "Nothing goods ever come out of the snake pit. Maybe that's where you belonged if you think your sister is so great. It's beyond me why the sorting hat damaged this house's great reputation by allowing a snake in."

Astoria was getting angry, she felt her bones resonating with rage, but before she could do anything, she felt a familiar hand rest atop her head, "Get out of the seat Weasley," Harry spoke.

"Why?" Ron said in confusion.

"Because Astoria was sitting there first," Harry spoke an unfamiliar coldness in his voice.

"She's a snake," Ron said, "She comes from a family of nothing but corrupt wizards no doubt, she doesn't belong here."

"First off," Harry said the chill in his voice sending shivers down Astoria's spine, "Not all Slytherin's are bad people, if they were, then there would be no point in keeping them as a house at Hogwarts. Secondly, even if all Slytherins were scum, Astoria's not one of them. I don't know if you need glasses, but it's clear to me that right over her heart on her robes is a golden lion."

"Doesn't mean she's not a snake at heart," Ron said.

"Give it a break Ron," The two twins said, but Ron seemingly ignored his elder brother's advice.

"I don't know what your problem is with Slytherin House, but I can promise you this," Harry started, the glare in his eyes sending Astoria's heartbeat into overdrive, "If you don't drop this attitude and continue having a problem with Astoria, then you're going to start some problems with me, and trust me, Weasley, you don't want that."

"Harry-," Astoria started nervously, she didn't want Harry getting in trouble because of her, she certainly didn't want him alienating other members of Gryffindor house on her behalf, she didn't feel like it was worth it.

"Don't worry about it, Astoria," Harry said calmly, "I don't care if they're from the same house or different ones, I don't like bullies."

"Bullies!" Ron shouted aghast, "Do you know what the snakes have done to me! To my family! The only bullies in this school are them!"

Astoria flinched as in Ron's rage, he had lifted his wand and pointed it at her face. What she hadn't been expecting was for Harry to be so quick on the draw as his wand was now pointed directly at Ron's neck. The entire common room seized to move as with a whisper so silent that only she and Ron could hear, Harry spoke, "Drop the wand Weasley, now."

For once, Ron seemed to understand the position he was now in. Astoria had felt powerful wizards before, her dad despite her less than favorable opinion of the man was a powerful wizard in his own right, and yet Harry's magic had frightened her. It wasn't overwhelmingly powerful like her father's was when he released his anger. Harry's was more of a small glow, a cold whisper of power that caused goosebumps to emerge on her skin.

Astoria watched as Ron's hand began to tremble before whether it be through intention or loss of control, he dropped his wand and Harry flicked his wand back into his sleeve giving Ron the time to back away. He once again placed his hand onto Astoria's head as he turned to face the room, "I understand that Gryffindor and Slytherin have a rivalry that stems back to the beginning of Hogwarts. I know that pranks and scuffles are the norm between the two houses. I know because my dad was one of the greatest pranksters to ever visit Hogwarts and I would love to have some fun pranking the snakes and beating them in the house cup and quidditch. But I want to make one thing clear, I don't care who her family members are, Astoria's one of us, she's a lion, and a pride should take care of their own."

"Very well said Mr. Potter," McGonagall said as she entered the room causing the environment in the common room to shift once more, "Truly, I too would like to see Gryffindor's brand on this year's cup, and I would be happy if for the first time in years Gryffindor had won the most house points, but to belittle another house, and worse, a member of our own house for their blood relationship to a student in another house is deeply disheartening."

Astoria was amazed as she saw the shame that had crept onto the Weasley Boy's face, and McGonagall spoke once more, "Mr. Weasley, what you and your family must have gone through last year, I can't even begin to imagine the trauma, but as Head of Gryffindor House I cannot allow the bullying of my students, even if it is by my own house. Apologize to Ms. Greengrass immediately, and be sure not to do it again or I will assign detention and remove points."

If possible the speculation of Ron being responsible for losing Gryffindor House Points had made the pale boy even whiter as he swallowed hard before muttering out, "Sorry."

"S'okay," Astoria responded. She had heard all about what happened to the Weasley family last year, had Astoria lost Daphne to the 'heir of Gryffindor' it was likely she'd have acted the same way. However, regardless of her sympathy, it still wasn't right, especially not the fact that he had pointed his wand at her.

Harry smiled down at her, and Astoria returned with a sympathetic look causing Harry to nod before Astoria had felt his hand placed once more on her head. McGonagall nodded before she clapped loudly returning the attention of the room to her, "Prefects, please show the new students to their dormitories, classes begin tomorrow bright an early, so I suggest an early lights-out call. I wish you all the very best luck this year, and between us, do try to beat Slytherin this year, Mr. Wood."

"We'll hope for the best at Try-Outs professor," said a well built and burly seventh-year boy with an overwhelmingly commanding presence.

McGonagall nodded and just before she spoke, "Oh yes, and one more thing, if I have to return to solve another problem of bullying in this common room, I'll make sure Filtch will be in charge of the detentions received." This sent a shudder down many students' spine, and though Astoria was unfamiliar with what made Filtch so terrifying, she didn't really want to find out, "Gryffindor is not just the home of brave," McGonagall continued, "It is the home of the noble as well, see to it we live up to that standard."

The entire common-room nodded, and Astoria watched as the emerald-green clad witch exited the portrait hole. Soon, a very pretty witch with dark skin, brown hair, and kind brown eyes stood up and called, "Alright Firsties, I'm Alicia Spinnet, you heard McGonagall so let's not stick around waiting, I'll show the girls to their dormitories, Kenneth, I suggest you do the same."

Astoria had noticed Fred and George Weasley roll their eyes at the fifth-year boy who puffed the P on his chest out proudly, "Very well, first years with me, you as well Potter, I'll show you to the third-year dormitories."

Astoria waved goodnight to Harry, "Thanks for sticking up for me."

"Of course short-stack," Harry said with a smirk, "We're friends after all."

Astoria looked up at the older wizard who had stood up for her when nobody else would, and with a smile, she nodded. Harry was certainly a friend, but to her, Harry acted a lot like she had imagined an older brother would. All Astoria could think off as she followed Spinnet into the dormitories was that maybe Daphne could give the Boy-Who-Lived a shot. She could certainly do much worse.

* * *

**A/N: Alright, so before everyone jumps on the 'you hate Ron' train, I want everyone to know that this is not intended to be a Ron Bashing story... though I honestly don't really like cannon Ron, but that's beside the point. I as a person don't really believe in people changing their entire life, but I do believe in growth, and I intend for Ron to grow throughout my multiple-story series. Yes, he'll always be a selfish ass, but that doesn't mean he can't mature. Anyway, apart from Ron, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I really like the conversations between Astoria and Harry in this chapter... just between you and me, I'm planning on Astoria being a major character moving forward so I hope you all enjoy her relationship with Harry. Anyways, I know this chapter didn't cover much ground but it introduced and developed some characters which are also pretty important and it's not like I'm in any rush to finish the story, so if you enjoyed, please let me know by Following, Favoriting, or leaving this story a Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	8. Chapter VIII: The First Day

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I've posted, I've been moving which as anyone who has ever moved can tell you sucks... Anyways, I'm back now and I hope you enjoy the chapter, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review!**

* * *

Chapter VIII: The First Day

**(Blaise P.O.V)**

"That stupid bitch," Malfoy ranted as Blaise pretended to be fast asleep. It was a practice he had put in place years ago, it had actually started the day Tracey had invited at the time a much more timid Blaise into their friend group. It was no surprise to anyone that as Malfoy went, so did all of Slytherin. It was confusing for sure, why exactly seventh years and prefects had bowed to the whims of a third-year, but Lucius Malfoy was a powerful figure in the wizarding world, and if Malfoy Jr. wished it, Malfoy Sr. could ruin their potential careers. It was for that reason that Daphne and Tracey had convinced him that knowing what Malfoy was planning was of the utmost importance, and Blaise was a perfect tap for that information as Malfoy was notoriously bad at keeping his temper in check, "How dare she," Malfoy finished.

"She thinks she can just insult me like that, she thinks that she can turn down me, Draco Malfoy," The blonde git ranted in a whisper-shout to his cronies Crabbe and Goyle, "I'll make her realize her mistake, her and Potter, I'll make them both pay for insulting me."

"Um, Malfoy," Goyle spoke nervously not looking up to face the blonde prince, "I don't think it's a good idea to bother Potter."

"Why?" Draco spat, "Do you think the things that he said about my family don't warrant vengeance?"and

"No," Goyle said timidly, "It's not that, it's just, um, well, Potter he's-"

"Out with it," Draco growled in annoyance.

"He's scary," Crabbe finished, "Come on Malfoy, don't tell me you didn't feel his magic on the train, it was so cold, it felt like death."

"He just caught me off guard was all," Malfoy spat, "I'm a pureblood wizard, descended of two ancient and noble houses, Potter's a half-blood mutt, there's no way he's more powerful than I am. Potter needs to learn that it doesn't matter that he's the Boy-Who-Lived, a half-blood's place is at a Pure-Blood's feet."

Blaise couldn't help but roll his eyes. Draco was not a weak wizard, though his work ethic left much to be desired, however, Blaise felt strongly that even if Draco had trained nonstop, there were plenty of wizards that were stronger than him. Namely, Dumbledore, and for more fair in-year examples, Hermione Granger, a Muggle-born girl was arguably the most talent witch Blaise had ever seen. Blaise himself was a pure-blood, and even he knew that in terms of sheer magical ability, Tracey was far better than him at almost everything besides transfiguration. It wasn't that Blaise himself wasn't raised with all the Pure-Blood superiority propaganda, he had just gotten his ass kicked by enough 'Mudbloods' and 'Half-Breeds' to believe it.

"So what's your plan Malfoy?" Crabbe asked, "How are you going to teach Greengrass and Potter a lesson?"

"Potter's more difficult," Malfoy muttered to himself, "I'll need to plan more for him, but Greengrass is simple. You two saw her face when her sister was placed into Gryffindor, the Ice Queen actually seems to care about her little sister. I'll offer her a deal, she goes out with me and I tell the snakes to lay off her sister, she doesn't, and I'll make sure her sister wants to drop out by next year."

Blaise grit his teeth, he wished he was a stronger wizard, strong enough to take down Malfoy and his two goons for what they were planning. He and Astoria were not exactly close, but Daphne was one of his best friends, and while the relationship between him and the younger Greengrass wasn't very deep, he still liked the girl. The idea that Draco would be willing to torment a completely innocent bystander drove him up the wall. He was proud to be sorted into Slytherin, despite the bad reputation his house stoop for Ambition and Cunning, but while Draco's plan was certainly ambitious, and some may have called it cunning, all Blaise thought was that it was cruel.

"Uh, Malfoy," Goyle started again, "The younger Greengrass seems to be becoming friends with Potter, I mean, you saw him stand and walk with her to the end of the table. I just don't think messing with her is a good id-"

"Are you a snake or not," Malfoy hissed, "Either you do what I say and intimidate the little lion, or I'll cut you from my group and I'll make sure my father hears about your disloyalty."

Quickly Goyle nodded, "Good," Malfoy said, "Now let's get some sleep, we've got a big day tomorrow."

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry awoke to a startled scream that filled the third-year boy dormitory. As a byproduct of his training, Harry quickly grabbed his wand before ducking behind his bed for cover a spell ready on his lips as he looked around rapidly. However, when the source of the noise was located, Harry let out a tired sigh as he saw that it was none other than Ronald Weasley who had been frightened awake by the loud and angry hissing of none other than Loki.

"Loki?" Harry said with a raspy morning voice, "What are you doing boy?"

"What your demon cat was doing," Ron said angrily, "was trying to eat my pet."

"What are you talking about?" Harry whispered, blinking the crust from his eyes.

"Scabbers." Ron said as he lifted a rather fat and rather large rat, "He was trying to make a snack of my family's pet."

"Your family keeps a pet rat?" Harry asked completely lost.

"Not everyone is as rich as the Potters," Ron said indignantly.

"That isn't what I mean-," Harry started feeling bad, clearly the Weasley's did not come from a well to do family based off Ron's reaction.

"It doesn't matter," Ron huffed, "Just keep your monster away from Scabbers."

"Sure thing," Harry said a small semblance of empathy in his voice, "Loki, come here boy."

To Harry's delight, his beautiful Kneazle leapt onto his bed and began to curl up across his chest, demanding that Harry get to work scratching below his chin which he did, causing Loki to purr happily, before Harry whispered, "I know that to you rats are a yummy snack," Harry said playfully to his Kneazle, "But that one belongs to somebody so you can't eat him okay?"

Loki turned back to Ron's bed, a menacing glare in his eyes before Harry regained his Kneazle's focus with a treat he had got in bulk from Figg. "Here boy," Harry said lifting up a fish flavored cracked in the shape of a sardine without any of the smell, "Eat this, I'll see if I can sneak you anything from the kitchen's when I get back from class tonight."

Loki nodded, though his eyes still seemed to be locked on Ron's bed. Yes, having a rat for a pet as a wizard was certainly weird, but still, it wasn't anything that would deem Ron as a suspicious or shady character that Kneazles were bred to detected. However, due to Ron's screech drawing him into attack mode, Harry had waived the notion of going to sleep entirely and decided that it was early enough to begin his conditioning. In minutes, Harry had found himself dressed in long black leggings covered by black shorts and a plain green tee-shirt. He grabbed and dug through his trunk finding his charmed never-empty water bottle, and with one last silent look at Loki telling him to behave, he left Gryffindor tower and headed towards the castle grounds.

The landscape of Hogwarts was beautiful, decked out with gorgeous rolling hills and flushed out fields of greens and browns. Harry allowed the scenery to overtake him as he continued his steady paced jog around the area. He smiled brightly as he passed the quidditch pitch and as he looked up, he imagined how packed the stadium must have been in the days his dad would play. He grinned broadly as he remembered a story Sirius had told him about his parents during their seventh year. Just before the Ravenclaw seeker had caught the snitch, his dad had scored the quaffle and while their catching of the snitch would have tied up the game for Ravenclaw, his dad's last-minute score had won Gryffindor the Quidditch Cup.

Sirius had told him that while his father's team had all flow down to the ground to receive the cup, his father had flown over to his mother, lifting her on to his broom and kissing her in front of the entire school before flying off and shouting back to his team to save some butterbeer for him when he went to their common room. Sirius had then joked that James and Lily hadn't returned down from the Head Boy and Head Girl suite until the next day where he saw that his mother was blushing heavily, and his father couldn't stop smiling.

It was one of the more adult stories that Sirius had told him about his parents, and he remembered how much both Andromeda and Remus had protested he was too young to hear about a story like that. But Harry didn't care, he wanted to hear every story about his parents, he wanted his memory of them to be as strong as possible, and he wanted to know all about how much his parents had loved each other, and about how much they had loved him.

Completing his run around the grounds, Harry had found a quiet place overlooking the Black Lake as he began to start on his push-ups. However, his peace was moderately deterred as he saw another boy walking up and around the grounds before the sun had even risen. Judging by the color of his robes he had discarded by the edge of the lake he was a Hufflepuff, and Harry swore the boy couldn't be much older than he was.

The boy had a round face and was short, maybe a bit shorter than average for a boy his age. He was a bit chubby and his blonde-hair, despite the early morning was parted neatly. As Harry continued his set of push-ups, he looked at the boy in confusion as he saw the boy roll up his sleeves and pant legs, before he kicked off his shoes and walked into what must have been the bitterly cold lake.

His curiosity had been peeked as he watched the boy tread carefully towards the end of the lake's bank, before he crouched down and began to dig. In a bucket he carried beside him, Harry watched as the boy lifted a myriad of odd-looking plants and placed them gently into it. Harry was tempted to go and asked the boy what he was doing, but that plan was quickly diminished as with a yelp, the boy seemingly slipped and tumbled into the Black Lake.

Realizing there was nobody else around, Harry quickly kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks before he bolted in after the boy, the chilling temperatures causing him to curse loudly as he plunged into the water wand in hand. To Harry's great disgust, he saw a horde of small, horned, pale-green water demons with their tentacle-like appendages wrapping around the terrified boy who was trying to reach for his wand against great resistance.

Harry spoke to himself mentally, _Sorry dude, _before he spoke through the muffled water, _"Tenimago!" _

Harry watched as a bloom of black flames spurted from his wand encapsulating the water demons. They shrieked as they quickly released the boy trying to pat down the flames, but it was a darker spell Harry had learned from the Black Family Grimoire, a flame that while it doesn't leave the typical burns, creates an agonizing heat on the opponent's skin that despite water, or dirt would never die out until the counter-curse was muttered.

Harry quickly swam for the boy, grabbing the kid who looked up to him in amazement before he pointed his wand down and muttered with the last of his breath, _"Aguamenti!" _and using the water as a jet-stream, Harry propelled both himself and the Hufflepuff boy out of the water where each gasped for air upon breaking the service. The boy seemingly managed to get himself together and united they quickly kicked themselves to shore.

It wasn't until Harry and the blonde boy had climbed out of the Black Lake did Harry point his wand and mutter the counter curse, _"Extinctus." _Both he and the Hufflepuff lay on their backs near the Lake panting as Harry watched the boy cough up the rest of the water from his lungs. Finally, with the water cleared from the boy, Harry spoke, "So, what the hell were those things?"

"Grindylows," The boy panted, "nasty little water demons."

"So you knew they were in there," Harry said in disbelief, "And you decided to go for a dip anyway?"

"I didn't mean to go for a dip," the boy said defeatedly looking at the ground, "Gran's always saying I don't use my head."

"I'm inclined to say she was right," Harry said quickly casting a warming charm on both himself and the boy, "What the hell were you even doing in the lake?"

"Research," he said tiredly, sadness still in his voice.

"On how to die?" Harry asked still completely lost.

"On Herbology," The boy said, "I want to document every single species of magical plant in the world. There are no records about the plants in the black lake because nobody can get past the Grindylows and the mer-people, but it's my dream, I don't want to give up." Then a look of sheer depression filled the boy's face, "Although Gran says it's a stupid goal and I should focus more on transfiguration like she did. She's always talking about Professor McGonagall and how she wished I was placed in her house like my mom and dad."

"Hey," Harry said placing his hand on the Hufflepuff's damp shoulder, "For what it's worth, I don't think it's a stupid dream. I mean, I'm god awful at Herbology, I can't really stand it honestly, but if plants make you happy then keep researching… just maybe save the Black Lake until after you've learned enough spells to defend yourself."

"Thanks, Harry," The boy said with a slightly less defeated tone.

"No Proble-," Harry started, "Wait a minute, I didn't tell you my name."

The boy pointed to his forehead and Harry nodded, "Oh yeah, kinda forgot about the whole being famous thing for a minute." A small grin appeared on the boy's face before he spoke again, "Well, how about you tell me your name then, it's only fair."

"Trust me," The boy said glumly, "It doesn't matter if you know my name, nobody in this school even remembers I exist."

"Well, I did just jump into a cold as shit lake for you so I'm pretty sure I'll remember your name," Harry said with a smirk.

"It's Neville," He said still looking out over the Black Lake, "Neville Longbottom."

"I've heard of you," Harry said dumbly before realizing the hole he had just dug himself into.

"You have?" Neville said questioningly.

It took Harry no time however to come up with a cover story. An art that Andromeda had taught him, sometimes, even though honesty is the best policy, sometimes you need to lie. "When I was at Gringotts, I found out that before my mother died, she had made your mom my godmother. In a way, we're kinda like brothers."

However, the notion of his parents only left the expression on the boy's face cold and it looked like lightning had struck him, Harry had remembered what Sirius had told him about the Longbottoms. They had been tortured to insanity by death eaters one of which happened to be Bellatrix LeStrange. The thought the someone from Sirius' bloodline which he had considered his own could have committed such a heinous act had given Harry pause before he spoke sympathetically, "I'm sorry for bringing up your mom. When I was away from the wizarding world, I read all about the war, I know it's not much Neville, but to me, your mom and dad were heroes, they still are."

"Yeah," Neville said disheartened, "And I'm their son who nearly got killed by some fish."

Harry watched as the boy began to stand and started sulking away towards the castle, "Really Harry, thanks for saving me, I won't forget it." He said with a forced smile, "I'll see you around I guess."

"Yeah," Harry said, a sadness filling his heart as he watched a boy who Harry could tell had defeated himself and allowed his confidence to be completely crushed by both internal and external factors glide away, "See yah, Nev."

* * *

**(Astoria P.O.V)**

Astoria was feeling rather uncomfortable as she sat alone at Gryffindor table. Ron had been talking about Harry acting weird and leaving early in the morning, but it was now 7:45 in the morning and Harry was nowhere to be found. Yesterday, Astoria had a problem of nobody wanting to be around her, now she was being flanked by Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, and a somewhat pretty girl with long brown hair and blue eyes named Fay Dunbar.

Astoria slightly growled at their fake caring nature, Harry had made it obvious to the common room that she was important to him, and now every girl who had their eyes on Harry seemed to flock to her, forming a protective shield around her as if their new 'caring' nature would win them brownie points with the Boy-Who-Lived.

Honestly, though, Harry being missing was starting to drive her crazy. Yes, Harry had told her not to worry about him and that he could take care of himself, but Sirius Black was still at large, and while Harry for some reason seemed confident Black wasn't something to worry about, Astoria had a very different opinion. Thankfully, however, her silent worry came to a halt as walking alone through the doors of the Great Hall was Harry Potter.

Just like yesterday, Harry was in 'uniform' although he was wearing it in a very sloppy fashion. He kept the standard lazy grin on his face as he walked through the Great Hall, the stares of his many fangirls seemingly going unnoticed by the boy. Astoria couldn't help but chuckle as Harry sent a smile towards her older sister only to receive scowl in return before he took a seat between herself and Parvati.

"Hi Harry," Parvati said, actively putting a soft and melodic tone in her voice.

"Hey," Harry said in a friendly enough tone, though clearly disinterested before Astoria had locked eyes with his emerald pools, "Morning short-stack," Harry said with a grin.

"You're still going with that huh?" Astoria said with a huff.

"Yup," Harry said with a smile as he reached for a piece of toast.

"Where'd you go this morning?" Lavender spoke sweetly, "Ron said you were acting strange and I, for one, was really worried."

Astoria faked a gag causing Harry to snicker before turning to Lavender, "Your concern is appreciated, but unneeded, I couldn't sleep so I went for a morning run is all. When I got back everyone had already left for breakfast."

Astoria was about to make a comment, nagging him about how irresponsible it was for Harry to be walking around all by himself, but before she could, Dumbledore had risen from the High Table and spoke with a booming voice, "I hope everybody has been enjoying their splendid breakfast. Classes will be starting shortly, and as such the Heads of each House shall begin handing out schedules. Please do remember while tardiness for first-years will be accepted today as each student learns their way through the castle, repeated tardiness will lose your house points, and more importantly will lose you valuable learning time. Now then, Professors, if you will."

Astoria sat at attention eagerly as Professor McGonagall began handing out the schedules. It had taken a few minutes before she had finally received hers. She opened the piece of parchment and read of a mixture of double Transfiguration, Potions, and Charms. She had heard from Daphne about how McGonagall was stern but fair, and she secretly hoped that she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of her head of house on the first day of school.

It had taken around fifteen minutes, but eventually, all the schedules were handed out, well almost all of them, Harry's was still missing. Astoria had found this very odd and clearly, Harry did as well before the two of them looked up to see Dumbledore smiling before floating a schedule over to Harry with the wave of his wand. Astoria watched as Harry snatched the paper from the air before he began to read.

For the most part, it looked like a normal schedule, except there was one thing that was strange, on Harry's schedule there was no History of Magic nor Muggle Studies, instead his schedule consisted of: Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Herbology, Runes, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and oddly an unrecognizable class which read D.O.

However, judging by the look exchanged by Harry and Dumbledore, the two seemingly knew exactly what D.O. had meant and while Astoria had really wanted to ask Harry what exactly the odd-looking initials stood for, Professor McGonagall and the other heads of house had begun ushering the students out to return to their dormitories and receive their supplies to avoid any tardiness if possible, and as the room crowded as people walked towards the door, Astoria had lost Harry in the storm, the question of D.O. still burning in her mind.

* * *

**(Michael P.O.V)**

The dungeons were cold, bitterly so, and as normal Professor Snape had been giving his classic beginning of the year speech about how potions is more of an art than a form of magic and as such it takes more discipline than foolish wand-waving and incantations. He went on to discuss all about how few are truly gifted for the art and that many of us wouldn't be proceeding to the N.E.W.T level and would be weeded out by the O.W.L examinations during fifth year.

Hermione Granger, a girl that Michael had to admit had gotten pretty cute over the summer had been very upset at the notion that she could fail anything which made Michael laugh, to Granger, grades were everything, she had to prove how intelligent she was, as she was constantly fighting to earn her place at the 'wizarding table'. Honestly, while her eagerness did occasionally bring a smile to his face, her desire to constantly make him compete against her did not. Granger and Greengrass had been engaged in a long-standing rivalry since 1st year and truth be told, it was an interesting social experiment, the muggle-born against the pure-blood, but the competition had never mattered to Michael. Unfortunately, he had gotten dragged into this rivalry when he was playing Wizard's Chess with Terry in the Ravenclaw Common Room, and Hermione couldn't believe he had beaten Terry. Hermione had then challenged him, and nothing had made him laugh more than the completely stumped expression on Granger's face when he had beaten her with the Fool's Mate technique ending the game in four turns.

Since then, Granger had been obsessed with his natural intelligence, constantly asking him how he did on his exams and constantly getting furious when he had told her he got an Acceptable. Claiming every time, "You need to try harder because I refuse to believe I lost to an only Acceptable student."

Michael would normally laugh it off and walk away without a word. The school year had just started and Hermione was already glaring at him intently. The Gryffindors were also in the period, and while Seamus being there meant a sure-fire shot at seeing explosions, Michael was more confused as to why Harry wasn't with the class. He had overheard from Ron that Harry had acted weirdly this morning, and he had hoped that Harry hadn't gotten sick his first day at Hogwarts, but just as Snape had waved his wand, Harry had entered the room, panting, "Sorry," Harry spoke aloud, "I had to talk with Dumbledore about something and-"

"You're late Mr. Potter," Snape sneered, "Twenty points from Gryffindor."

"For being late?" Harry asked completely aghast, "It wasn't even my fault."

"Of course, nothing is ever a Potter's fault now is it," Snape said coldly leading to a glare between Harry and the Professor, "Find a seat Potter before I take away another twenty."

Harry just closed his eyes and released a heated breath before walking towards the workbench that Michael was currently occupying. Harry took a seat and Michael turned to him with sympathetic eyes, "That's rough mate."

"Don't worry about it," Harry said still clearly steaming but trying to keep it under control, "Snivillus and my family have a history, I shouldn't have expected anything less," Michael sat there somewhat intrigued in the history Potter seeming shared with Snape, but Harry continued before he could allow his thoughts to wander, "Anyway, what potion are we making, and are you ready to ghost me through it because I'm awful at potions?"

"Sat next to the wrong claw then," Michael said with a laugh, "If you wanted a brainiac you should've sat next to Granger. Though you would have been bored out of your mind, I promise you that."

"I thought you Claws were supposed to be smart," Harry said with a grin.

"Common misconception," Michael said with a devious smile as the two began to work on the Wiggenweld Potion. To say that it was the most fun Michael had during a potions class would have been an understatement as he and Harry had taken turns roasting Snape for the better part of an hour.

"His nose is so big," Harry had whispered to him, "I bet that trees die when he's around."

Michael had to bite his tongue in order not to laugh, "His hair's so greasy, when it's hot out, you could fry bacon on it."

While the two certainly had fun ribbing their least favorite Professor, until inspection time had come around, and Harry and his potion were looking a bit less than acceptable. Mostly because they had said half-way through the class, 'fuck it' and started mixing whatever they wanted. Though Michael had been keeping track of the ingredient, remembering his first year reading about what ingredients not to mix together for danger's sake. Michael was lazy, but he wasn't reckless.

However, seeing the glare Snape had sent Harry, a mischievous lightbulb lit up in his hair as from his trunk of ingredients he pulled out a small vial of Hellebore Syrup, before nudging Harry, "Want to get back at Snape?"

"How is that even a question?" Harry asked in sarcasm, "What's the plan?"

"Syrup of Hellebore," Michael started, "Has a very interesting relationship when it comes in contact with salamander blood, which happens to be the base of our potion right here."

"Interesting how?" Harry asked a grin forming on his face.

"Interesting like boom," Michael whispered.

"How big of a boom?" Harry asked his voice elated with anticipation.

"I suggest getting beneath the desk," Michael said suspiciously, "You in?"

"Absolutely," Harry said beaming with excitement.

"Okay, When Snape comes I need you to distract him, count to thirty and then get down," Michael spoke.

"Got it," Harry said.

Soon, the bat of Slytherin house had approached their workbench, and with his standard sneer he spoke, "Let's see if you're as incompetent as your father when it comes to the art of potion-making."

"Well, I've heard my mother was quite gifted at potions. You know my mother right, Lily Evans Potter," Harry had placed great emphasis on the Potter part and though Michael couldn't understand why, he was amazed at the fact that he saw the stern façade of the potions master break into momentary hurt before turning stern again. However, in that momentary lapse, Michael had managed to pour the Syrup of Hellebore into the potion just as Snape had dipped his ladle into the cauldron. The count had begun in his head, and just before it hit thirty, Michael grabbed Harry's shirt and pulled him below the workbench as a large cauldron full of green gloop exploded with a bang. It may not have spread far onto the other tables, but the less than pleasant Potions-Master was covered head to toe in slime.

As Michael and Harry stood from their seat, Snape bellowed in anger, "Potter!"

But Harry was doing his best to hold back his laughter as the sludge of a potion dripped from Snape's hooked nose. Snape waved his wand and vanished the slime, but some had still remained in his hair and when Michael had pointed it out to Harry, he couldn't hold back his laughter anymore. With a snarl, Snape spoke, "Is something funny, Potter."

"Nope," Harry said trying to contain himself once more, but now Michael was on the verge of tears at seeing his friends practiced restraint falling to pieces.

"No sir," Snape said in an attempt to correct Harry.

But with wit and speed, that Michael had never seen before Harry responded, "You don't have to call me sir, Professor."

"Detention!" Snape growled loudly, "You and Mr. Corner since you find damaging of school property to be so funny. Perhaps you and Mr. Potter will learn some respect for school property after you clean all the trophy's in the gallery by hand."

"Sure thing, boss man," Michael said with a fake salute earning some snickers from Terry and Anthony and a groan of disappointment from Granger before turning back to face a rather livid-looking Snape.

Losing all his patience and most likely not wanting to have to sit through whatever the equivalent of a PTA meeting in the wizarding world would be, Snape hissed, "Dismissed." And with a flurry, the entire class left the class. Some miffed over the fact they hadn't had a chance to be evaluated like Granger, but the majority laughing eagerly running to spread the word that the new dynamic duo of pranking had made their first move.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry if this chapter seemed rather fast-paced, normally I like to write my chapters in one sitting, but as I've been stuck moving, I have to work with the time I've got. I just want to say thank you all for the support, and I hope you like Neville's introduction to the story and the first prank by Harry and Michael. If you have any other suggestions for pranks you'd like to see leave me a comment, sometimes my readers have great ideas. Once again, sorry if this chapter felt rushed but I promise the next one will be better. If you enjoyed it though, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	9. Chapter IX: Broom Closet Encounters

**A/N: Hello, sorry for the time between post, I just moved, but unfortunately there isn't any internet set up in my new Apartment yet so finding the time to go out and edit posts is a bit annoying. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and just for future reference, would you be interested in reading a series regarding Teddy and Victoire with an all-new threat after this series is concluded? It's not going to happen soon or anything, I'm just interested in if that's something you'd all be interested in. Anyway, that's enough announcements now, onto the chapter.**

* * *

Chapter IX: Broom Closet Encounters

**(Daphne P.O.V)**

Daphne had practiced the art of disregard and disinterest, it was the mastery of these feelings that allowed the Ice Queen persona to be born. But, seeing the way Potter would interact with Astoria, how he had left the table last night to go sit with her so she wasn't alone, and how much Astoria was seeming to look up to Potter was making her nauseous. When Blaise had told her of Draco's plan to essentially hold sister's welfare at the school hostage if she didn't agree to fall in line, the first thing she thought was that it was devious, almost impressively so for an idiot like Malfoy, but Astoria being friends with Potter would put her in the crossfire without a doubt even if she did conform. Daphne was very surprised that Potter had insulted Draco and now Draco was out for revenge, she could only hope her plan would work because if it didn't she really had no idea what else she was going to do.

Daphne had been pondering just when she could put her plan into action without Malfoy becoming aware, and to both her disdain and luck, as she was sitting in her Ancient Runes class she heard a familiar voice, "Morning Princess."

Daphne had turned to face none other than Harry Potter who had walked in just moments before class began looking as annoyingly attractive as ever. She wasn't sure how, but somehow, Potter had managed to make disheveled clothes look good. Worse though was that his ego was inflating even more without a doubt as his and Corner's prank on her Head of House had done wonders for their reputation. Daphne couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit of grudging respect, as she personally wasn't a fan of her Head of House's bias either.

"Potter," She said cooly, trying to keep her head in place. She needed to remain civil, she needed to convince Potter to leave Astoria alone, for both of their sakes.

"Mr. Potter," A lady with a raven-like face, long black hair, and cool black eyes spoke, "Please find a seat, class is about to begin."

Potter pulled out the chair beside Daphne's and while Daphne did her best to contain her groan, the agony was far from over as Potter whispered, "So Princess, how was your first day back?"

"Fine," Daphne responded curtly, "And stop calling me Princess."

"I don't think I will," Harry said with a smirk, "And just fine? Is someone giving you a hard time or something?"

"Yeah," Daphne said, "Maybe you know him, black hair, green eyes, lightning bolt scar on his forehead. He's a major pain."

Harry laughed, and Daphne couldn't help but feel a certain way about his laugh, it was unique and warm, it was comforting in a strange way, but once Harry stopped laughing, all he said was, "Cold, Ice Princess, very cold."

Before Daphne could even respond, Professor Babbling spoke, "Potter, Greengrass, is this a discussion you want to share with the class. If not, then please be quite, I'm handing out the entry assessment exam, any further chit-chat and I will take away points."

"I hate you," Daphne growled, never in her life had she even been called out by a teacher, and of course, the first time it ever happens, it's when she was trying to make a good first impression, and of course, it was all Potter's fault.

"Don't say that Princess," Harry said still smirking, "You'll come around."

"Not a chance Potter," Daphne growled beneath her breath before a stern look from Professor Babbling silenced her and a few moments later, the assessment test was placed in front of her and she quickly got to work.

It had taken the better part of an hour, and Daphne's head felt like it was about ready to explode. Runes had been a subject she'd been wanting to take for years and had even begun studying the runic alphabet in the hopes that maybe the cure to Astoria's curse could be found in an ancient runic book. However, even with all that preparation, the assessment was hard. Babbling had informed the class that this exam was simply a bar to gauge their current abilities and wouldn't be counted for a grade, but all the same, Daphne had hoped she had scored well.

When class was dismissed, she was surprised upon catching a glimpse at Potter's paper before it was collected. Daphne had thought that certainly, Potter was an idiot, to her all the boy did was flirt and pull pranks, but from the peek she had gotten from Potter's work, it looked as if there was actually stuff written down. Yes, perhaps Potter wasn't as one dimensional as she once thought, but she still refused to believe he wasn't an arrogant ass, he may not be a complete idiot, but Daphne knew the ladder to be true.

However, Daphne had also been looking around the entire class, neither Malfoy nor either of his two goons had decided to take Ancient Runes, which meant that if there was ever to be a chance to have a private conversation with Potter, now would be her best chance. She saw that Potter was just about to pass a broom closet, and swallowing her pride, she quickly ran up to him, wrapped her arm around his and pulled him into the darkened broom closes in one swift motion.

Daphne couldn't believe what she had just done, and instantly upon seeing the mischievous look on Potter's face, she knew she regretted her decision. She had never been this close to Harry. Her chest was pressed against his, her face was right at his neck, and her sense were overwhelmed by the intoxicating smell of cedar and green apple. She looked up at Potter trying to keep her nerve when finally, he spoke first, "You know Princess, if you wanted to get me alone in a broom closet, you just had to ask."

"Shut up," Daphne growled trying to swallow her embarrassment, "Stop doing that."

"Doing what?" Harry said still grinning at her like an idiot.

"Stop being so-," She started.

"So Charming? So Wonderful? So Irresistible?" Harry finished for her.

"Stop being such an arrogant jerk," Daphne growled, "I need to talk to you, so can you please be serious for one god damn minute."

Suddenly, to her great surprise, the easy grin that normally rested upon Harry's face became as straight as a line, and with a genuine look in his eyes he spoke, "Are you okay?"

"What do you-," But then Daphne looked down and saw that his hand was wrapped around her wrist, and due to the anxiety she was feeling of not just being in such a small place with the Boy-Who-Lived, but her fear with Astoria getting bullied, her heart rate must have been racing.

"Your pulse is racing," Harry said calmly, "Which means that A, you are attracted to me and you are lying, which, I mean, game on. Or B, you're frightened about something and it has something to do with me or else you wouldn't have thrown me in a broom closet with you."

Daphne pulled her arm away from Harry, but the look of concern didn't leave his eyes as Daphne spat, "Don't touch me. And no, I'm not 'attracted' to you and you don't frighten me, I just need you to leave Astoria alone."

"Astoria?" Harry said confusion lacing his voice, "Why?"

"Because we've both made enemies of Malfoy," Daphne spoke, "And to get back at you and me, Astoria is a target. He and his cronies are going to come after her and I can't let that happen. I have a plan to keep Malfoy of Astoria's back, but you need to leave her alone or she could get caught in the crossfire between you and Malfoy. So, I'm asking you nicely, please Pot- Harry, leave my sister alone."

"You know that even if I agreed, that wouldn't solve anything, right?" Harry said.

"Explain," Daphne spoke, trying once again to regain her cold and disinterested tone.

"Do you even know your sister?" Harry asked incredulously, "She doesn't seem like the type of girl to just blindly follow orders. She'll realize something is up when I start ignoring her considering she's one of the few presences I don't dislike having around me, and then she'll start to do some digging. She's a smart girl and somehow, she's going to discover the fact that you are the reason she 'lost' a friend. Astoria seems like a head-strong girl, you trying to get in the way will just make her try harder to prove that nobody can make decisions for her."

Daphne was in shock at how accurately Harry had described her sister's habits after only a little longer than twenty-four hours of knowing the girl. However, Daphne knew the risks, if it was a choice between doing what Malfoy asks or seeing her sister tormented by the Malfoy's both Jr. and Sr., it wasn't a hard choice to make. Defiantly, Daphne shook her head and spoke tiredly, "Well I have to do something. I won't let a stupid friendship be the reason she gets hurt. She's my sister Potter, I have to protect her, she's all I have."

Daphne didn't know why but she realized that her last words had seemed to have a profound effect on Harry. His usual nonchalant grin had turned into a painful look of understanding as he nodded, "I get it," Harry said, "But I'm not going to do what you asked, it's only going to cause more harm than good, and I recommend you don't try and get involved. Just take care of yourself, I promise you I won't let Malfoy, or anyone for that matter hurt Astoria."

"And that's it?" Daphne spoke coldly, "You're just going to give me a promise and I'm supposed to believe it. I know being the Boy-Who-Lived gets you a lot of freedom in this school, but that's not a good enough reason for me to trust you."

"How's this for a reason then," Harry said calmly, "Astoria's my friend, and I won't let Malfoy, or anyone else lay a finger on any of my friends."

Before Daphne could even think of a response, Harry opened the door to the broom closet, and with the standard lazy grin that normally rested upon his face he spoke, "Later Princess, next time we find each other in a broom closet, maybe we can have a more fun meeting." And with that, he walked away.

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

When Harry had returned from his first detention, both he and Corner were dead on their feet. Together they had begun walking towards their respective towers when from seemingly out of nowhere, they were stopped by Fred and George Weasley.

"Oi, Potter, Corner," George started.

"We heard a bit of a rumor," Fred said

"That you got Snape good in potions today," George finished.

"Yeah," Harry groaned, "It's why I can't currently lift my arms."

"Filtch is a monster," Michael groaned, "I can't tell you how many times I polished the 1865 house cup."

"That's why-" Fred started

"We've decided-," George continued

"To take you two under our masterful wings," The two said in unison, "Bloody brilliant, that no need to call me sir, Professor, line was. And having a brain like yours Corner would be a wonderful addition to the works of Gred and Forge."

"Do you two-," Michael started.

"Always speak like this," Fred began.

"Absolutely," George finished.

"Weird," Harry and Michael had said in unison before laughing at the irony.

"So what do you boys say?" Fred said cheerily.

"Need a hand?" George asked.

"Never hurts to learn from the masters," Michael said warmly.

"Atta boy," The twins said in unison, "Maybe if you two really inspire us, we'll introduce you to our greatest treasure."

"Treasure?" Harry asked.

"Worry not Harry ol' boy," Fred said.

"There's time for everything," George said.

"Now follow us," The twins said, "We'll make sure you two don't get caught and we'll also grab some food from the kitchens."

"How?" Michael said.

"Through the secret passageways of course," Fred spoke.

"Follow us," George said merrily, and together the two boys began to learn that there was more than just one way of getting around the halls of Hogwarts.

With their stomachs full, and laughter in their hearts, the twins and Harry separated from Corner as each returned to their own tower where word of Harry's embarrassment of Snape had spread like wildfire in the common room. Faye Dunbar, Katie Bell, and Angelina Johnson all had patted Harry on the back for a job well done, and Oliver Wood had slightly lifted a bottle of butterbeer to Harry, "Not bad Potter, not bad."

The only two people who didn't look elated was Ron, who had his game of Wizard's Chess disturbed by Harry's arrival and Astoria who simply shook her head as she rolled her eyes, "Really," She had said, "You couldn't go twenty-four hours before landing yourself in detention."

"Dream big Short-Stack," Harry had responded with a chuckle, "You've always gotta dream big."

However, the remainder of the week hadn't really been as much fun, well, discounting the fun Harry had been having in the broom closet with Daphne. Yes, it wasn't the most pleasant conversation he had ever had, and honestly, he was hoping that his first time in a broom closet with Daphne would have involved less talking, but all the same, something had changed at that moment, and the thrill of not knowing if it was for the better or worse filled his body with a tingling feeling.

Pushing those thoughts out of his mind though, Harry finally arrived at the class he had been waiting for, Defense Against the Dark Arts. When he had arrived, he couldn't help but smile for his Uncle as he saw the now Professor Lupin, standing at the entrance of the classroom in a suit that finally fit him. He wasn't sure how much money the post of teaching gave him, but it was clearly more than he had ever made before.

"Good morning class," Lupin had said warmly.

"Good morning," The Gryffindor's had responded warmly, but the Slytherin's, for the most part, were less enthusiastic than normal. Harry had initially turned to send a smile towards Daphne, _God, _He thought to himself, _That girl is unfairly attractive, _but instead of seeing the blonde he wanted, his eyes locked with the cold glare of Draco Malfoy.

"From what I've read about your last year's education under Professor Lockhart," This name of the previous professor had caused the class to laugh at the fact that from what Harry had understood Dumbledore had exposed the man as a fraud nearing the end of last year, "You were taught the standard dueling procedure. Due to your prior professor being less than satisfactory, I believe it would be a good place with revisiting the dueling process. Do I have any volunteers?"

Dueling was something Harry was quite familiar with, Harry had been dueling with Tonks since the day he had got his wand. Not only was the procedure second nature, the thrill of a friendly duel always caused him to tremble with excitement. Yet, Harry didn't want to volunteer, he didn't need the revision and while he didn't like to brag openly, he had his doubts that any third-year student could even provide him a modicum of a challenge.

However, the class was surprisingly quiet. Clearly, Lockhart had been worse than Harry imagined as fearful looks were being exchanged between students with the message, _Do you remember how to duel?_ Being silently spoken. Realizing that there was no other option, Harry closed his eyes and readied himself for what would come next, "Mr. Potter," Remus had started, "Are you familiar with the Dueling Procedure."

"Yes Professor," Harry said politely, playing the cover story of him not knowing Remus the way he did as best as he could.

"Excellent," Remus said smiling, "And who shall be your partner."

Suddenly, a pale hand shot up and Harry once again locked eyes with the grey-eyed boy, "I'll duel Potter."

Harry turned to Remus a pleading look to go all out in his eyes, but Remus sent him a look that spoke volumes and Harry knew he was being asked to behave. He sighed as he once again faced Malfoy before he spoke, "Are you sure you want to humiliate yourself here Malfoy? I'm already starting to feel bad for you."

The Gryffindors laughed while the snakes glared at Harry as if they were Cobra's ready to strike, except for the Princess herself who Harry hadn't seen since their broom closet encounter. Her face was the completely addicting face of disinterest that Harry couldn't get enough of. There was something about a girl not being interested in his fame that really brought a warmth to his heart and the fact that the girl looked as beautiful as Daphne Greengrass certainly didn't hurt.

"Shut it, Potter," Malfoy spoke with a sneer, "I'll humiliate you right in front of all your lions and show you why Pure-Bloods are at the top of the totem pole."

"Sure," Harry said with a shrug as he began to take the paces from Malfoy as Dueling Protocol insists, "Whatever."

Malfoy had stood there, clearly, a bit rustled at Harry's lack of respect for his non-existent authority. He had already not cared for Malfoy simply because of his family but hearing from Daphne that he was willing to threaten Astoria, one of Harry's friends made him angry, extremely so. Harry was unsure how Malfoy believed this duel would go, but he knew that he wouldn't be done until Malfoy had thoroughly learned his place.

Harry had never really had friends. He had Sirius who he loved, and he had Tonks growing up, but at his muggle school, his secrets had stopped him from having any real non-janitor closet relationships. However, hearing from Remus and Sirius about their days at Hogwarts, how the Marauders were as thick as thieves, and how Pettigrew had betrayed them had made Harry value friendship greatly. To him, he would rather die than betray his friends and the fact that Malfoy was trying to threaten a person he saw as a friend infuriated him.

Before Harry could continue on in his angry spiral, Remus had spoken, "Alright, this is going to be a demonstration duel. The goal is to disarm, and only disarm your opponent. Am I clear?"

Malfoy glared down Harry, and Harry returned with a smirk of his own as if to say, 'bring it' before he nodded and responded to Remus, "Crystal."

"Okay," Remus said with a clap, "Begin the duel."

As was the custom, Harry began to bow, but before he could even complete his dip, Malfoy had bellowed, _"Furnunculus!"_

Quickly, Harry dropped to the ground, dodging the golden light before he rolled out of the way of a toe-bitter jinx. Sending a quick look to Remus begging him not to stop the duel, Harry turned to Malfoy and smirked, "Not a good idea."

_"Tempestas!" _A little storm cloud emerged from Malfoy's wand as small bolts of lightning sprang towards Harry giving him just enough time to bob and weave out of the way only getting hit by one which sent his hair sticking straight up and his body began to tingle from the small burn left on his shoulder, "How do you like that Potter? Not so funny no-,"

But Harry was waiting for this, just as he had expected, Malfoy was about showmanship. Sure, judging by the jolt he had felt through his body from Malfoy's Tempest Jinx, he wasn't a weak wizard, but he had no focus. His only drive was to try and humiliate Harry, and that was his big mistake as Harry quickly lifted his wand and spoke with a calm voice, _"Expelliarmus."_

Cutting Malfoy off completely, the color drained from his face as his wand flew from his hand into Harry's who smiled before pointing the two wands at Malfoy and spoke, _"Vermillious." _From each wand, a bolt of red sparks erupted right at Malfoy's feet, and to Harry's delight, Malfoy yelped as he jumped.

"Come on Malfoy," Harry said with a smirk, "I thought you wanted to dance. So, go on, dance. _Vermillious_."

As Harry continued to send red sparks towards Malfoy's feet, the boy continued to hobble until Harry was now inches from Malfoy's face. The blonde git's wand pointed at his chest while Harry's was pointed at his forehead, "Do you surrender?"

Malfoy glared angrily at him, but Harry simply continued to smile broadly as he whispered just loud enough for Malfoy to hear, "This is my last warning Malfoy. Mess with me, or any of my friends, and next time, I'm might not be so merciful. And since you're a little thick, I'll make this simple. You touch Astoria, and I might just accidentally let a reductor spell lose. Understand?"

But before Harry could get an answer Remus spoke, "Okay that's enough. For disobedience of my rules, 5 points will be taken from Gryffindor and Slytherin." The crowd of Gryffindors groaned loudly at the unjust punishment, but Remus quickly rectified the situation as he spoke, "But for tremendous restraint on Mr. Potter's part after being so unnecessarily attacked, I grant Gryffindor House 10 points."

The Gryffindors began to clap, but that didn't matter to Harry, all that mattered was the fear that was plastered on Draco and his gangs' faces. He wasn't sure if it would stick, but he hoped that Malfoy and his pals learned that messing with Astoria was not an option. Slowly he turned to look at Daphne, and for a moment, Emerald Green and Icy Blue locked until she quickly turned away with a scowl which only caused Harry to shake his head and sigh. Apparently, the Princess didn't think it was enough to deter Malfoy, and part of Harry agreed. No son of Lucius Malfoy would ever concede so easily.

It hadn't taken long until Remus had dismissed the class but before Harry had exited, Remus had called out, "Mr. Potter, a word please."

Harry waved goodbye towards all his Gryffindor year-mates before turning around and re-entering the classroom. Remus was standing there, a warm smile on his face as he spoke, "I let the duel go on so you could send Malfoy a message, but I don't condone any violence within the halls of Hogwarts. I'm proud that you handled that attack responsibly, but it's always best to avoid conflict if possible."

Harry nodded, "I know, it's just, he really gets under my skin sometimes. And then, I think about how his dad was one of them, and it just-"

"I know Harry," Remus said warmly holding his shoulder, "It's hard to accept sometimes, but Draco isn't his father, he hasn't committed his father's crimes. I know that he's not the most likeable person, but he isn't a criminal, and he isn't responsible for his father's actions. I'm not saying you have to be his best friend, but sometimes a good prank is better than a spell, and often it carries far fewer consequences."

Harry smiled, "So Padfoot was right, the marauder Moony still exists."

"Just because I grew up doesn't mean I can't have fun from time to time," Remus said with a chuckle, "Oh yes, I nearly forgot, speaking of fun I have something for you. I'm sure you know that Quidditch try-outs are coming up."

"Yeah," Harry said, "I was actually going to ask Kreacher if he could bring me my broom, it'll be hard but as long as I can outfly everyone else on my Comet 140, I should be fine."

"Ah yes, well I feel that won't be much of a problem moving forward," Remus said with a smile before pulling out a long and thin parcel wrapped in a brown wrapping and tied with a black bow, "Padfoot and I didn't get you anything for your birthday a few months back did we? I fear that's my fault."

"It's okay Moony," Harry said sincerely, "You don't need to buy me a present, both you and Padfoot have given me more than enough."

"Well you see, Padfoot wanted to give this to you for your birthday," Remus said, "But I didn't want to bum off him, so I had to wait until I got my first payout, but now that I have," Remus pushed the parcel gently into Harry's hands, "Happy Late Birthday Harry."

His hands were trembling as he held the parcel in his hand. As if he was about to perform complex surgery, his willed his hands to stop and slowly, with great precision, he pulled at the end of the black bow undoing the knot. He held his breath as with intense focus, he slowly began to undress the brown wrapping until laying on the desk before him was a brand new Firebolt. The handle was made of beautiful polished ebony, and the twigs were an assortment of birch and hazel allowing for a quicker ascent and pinpoint turns. Harry gently brushed his hands over the goblin-made ironwork fitting, and a tear began to fall from his eye as next to the golden registration number, the broom was engraved with Flyboy 2.0.

Sirius had told him growing up that during their seventh year it was the name his mother had called his father, and seeing it engraved on his own racing broom was nearly too much for him to handle. Gently he placed the broom down and looked up to see Remus giving a nervous smile, "I hope you liked it. Padfoot and I were a little nervous about the-"

But before he could finish, Harry had nearly tackled his uncle with a hug, gripping the man tightly as he whispered, "Thank you."

"It's alright Harry. It was our pleasure," Remus said kindly, "Now make sure you're ready to show everyone on that Quidditch pitch that James Potter wasn't the only Potter gifted on a broomstick. And between you, Padfoot and I, we'd like to see Hufflepuff lose the Quidditch Cup for once, but don't tell Nym."

Harry nodded, "I'll do my best to make you proud."

Remus returned with a warm nod, "You always do."

* * *

**(Astoria P.O.V)**

One week at Hogwarts, it had taken all of one week for all of Astoria's hopes for the year to go down the toilet. Her first issue was that the girls flocking for Harry's affection wouldn't leave her alone for a second, and because of that, she wasn't able to comfortably get any work done. The second issue is that she wanted to break down and scream at how embarrassed she had felt during her lesson in transfiguration when she was the only one who couldn't turn the bird into a water goblet, and then finally there was the fight with Daphne that had happened just the day before.

All she wanted was to go to Hogwarts, get sorted with her sister, and enjoy her remaining few years before her blood curse took her. But everything had gone so terribly wrong. All her life, she had been either babied or disregarded. People either refused to acknowledge she existed because they felt it would be easier to handle her imminent death or if they did acknowledge her, it wasn't much better, as instead, they treated her like she was made of glass, stopping her from riding brooms, or playing outside, or anything that could risk her health even though the Blood Curse did nothing to affect her physical ability.

When she had come to Hogwarts, she hoped she'd get a chance at freedom. She had hoped that Daphne would've understood that all she wanted was to be able to make her own choices. But no, instead she had come up to her and demanded that she stopped being friends with Harry. Astoria didn't understand why Daphne would say that, yes, Harry bothered her, but that wasn't exactly a good enough reason for Astoria.

Harry had looked out for her, sat next to her when nobody else would, sure she didn't have friends in her common room yet, but it was thanks to Harry that nobody bullied her. Hell, even earlier that day Harry had allowed her to fly around a little on his new broom. Yes, Daphne was her sister and she loved her, but this was more than Harry, this was about her pride. Astoria for the first time had made a friend she chose, and she didn't want to give it up, not without a good reason at least.

It was for that reason, Astoria was currently sitting alone in the first-year girls' dormitory doing her best not to cry. Her sister had called her naïve and immature, and for some reason, that had cut deeper than she had been expecting it to. She had always believed that Daphne wanted her to be happy, but just as she had finally made a friend, an actual friend, Daphne wanted to strip that away from her. She wanted to scream, but before she could do that, she heard a knock at the door.

Astoria defiantly wiped away what had escaped of her tears before she went to get the door. Standing there, was none other than Professor McGonagall, a look of concern on her face. Astoria quickly straightened herself up as best she could before she spoke, "Hello Professor."

"Ms. Greengrass," McGonagall responded curtly before entering the girl's dormitory taking a seat on Astoria's bunk, "Come now, sit. I won't bite."

A weak smile appeared on Astoria's face at the normally stern woman's attempt at humor. Slowly, she walked over sitting beside the emerald-robed professor before she spoke, "Can I help you, Professor?"

"I've actually come to ask the same thing, Ms. Greengrass," McGonagall said comfortingly, "You were absent from all of your classes today, but when I asked Mr. Potter of your whereabouts he claimed that he had seen you that morning at breakfast before class and that you didn't seem unwell. Tell me, Ms. Greengrass, why were you absent today?"

"I- I was just having a bad day is all," Astoria said fighting the tears in her eyes.

With a wave of her wand, McGonagall conjured up a box of tissues before handing it to her, "I heard about your fight with your sister. I will always encourage my cubs to do what they believe is right as opposed to what they believe is easy, but in doing so, I do expect them to abide by as many guidelines a possible."

"I'm sorry Professor," Astoria said sadly, "It won't happen again."

"Cry," McGonagall said calmly.

"What?" Astoria said between sniffles.

"I know Ms. Greengrass," McGonagall said, "I know about your disease, it was in the student records when you were sorted into my house. I know how hard of a time you are having, and I know how much you want to let it out, but much like a lion, you are too proud to do so. I'm telling you it's okay. So, if you need to cry, I won't tell a soul."

"It's not fair," Astoria said slowly, "It's just not fair," She repeated the tears finally streaming down her cheeks.

"I know Ms. Greengrass," McGonagall said, "But if the world were fair, it wouldn't be the one we know. It's important to be strong, to handle challenges, but it's equally as important to understand that it's okay to feel overwhelmed sometimes. You were sorted into the house of the Brave, not the house of the unfeeling, there's no shame in falling, there's only shame in staying down."

Astoria wasn't sure how long it was that McGonagall had comforted her as the tears she'd been holding back for hours poured, but eventually, she seemed to have gained a stronger grip on her self and released her head of house who gave her a kind smile before pointing her wand at her and drying her clothes. With another wave of her wand, a cheering charm was placed on her, and with a final wave, a stack of homework appeared.

"None of your assignments will be graded as late," McGonagall said, "But I do suggest you get them finished as soon as you can. Mr. Potter has volunteered to help you, he's waiting for you down in the Common Room."

"Thank you, Professor," Astoria said feeling better as she looked appreciatively at her professor.

"You're my student Ms. Greengrass," McGonagall said, her normal stern expression returning to her face, "I'll always try to be available when a student needs me." Astoria gave her Head of House one last thankful nod before McGonagall exited the room, and she began to load her books into her book bag. She had a moment of weakness, but it wouldn't control her any longer. Maybe Daphne didn't approve of her choice, but Astoria felt it was the right thing to do, and she'd stand by that just as her Head of House had said.

* * *

**A/N: I had to play around with time a bit this chapter to try and pick up the pace because I don't want this first story in the series to be 1,000 chapters long, but I hope you were able to hang with the jumps. I personally really enjoyed Daphne and Harry's broom closet time, and McGonagall and Astoria I felt was another good moment. In my opinion, we saw McGonagall's caring side far too little in the Cannon Story and I wanted to include some kind page time for my favorite Hogwarts Professor. Also, Harry calls Daphne Princess, but I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestion for what she should call Harry. If I like your suggestion, I'll add it to the story so feel free to fire away. Anyway, that's all for now, if you enjoyed please be sure to Follow, Favorite and Review! Until Next Time, Peace.**

**A/N: Sidenote, time should be returning to a linear fashion next chapter so if this was too hard to follow, I don't plan on repeating it in the future.**


	10. Chapter X: Quidditch Tryouts

**A/N: Wow, ten chapters in and I already have 329 favorites, 624 followers, and 124 reviews. I really can't express how awesome you guys all are, and for those of you who take the time to comment, I want to let you know I read and cherish every single one, even the ones that say how much they dislike my version of Harry or have different feelings of my judgment calls, they still mean a lot to me. But for all of those who continually show support, I just want to say thank you, and without further ado, enjoy chapter 10!**

* * *

Chapter X: Quidditch Tryouts

**(Astoria P.O.V)**

"Avifors!" Astoria groaned looking at the tiny cup in front of her, "Avifors! Avifors! Avifors!" She shouted getting irritated at the cup's lack of transformation. It had been days since she had first attempted the spells, and while she and Harry had been up late in the Gryffindor Common Room trying to make the spell work, the goblet no matter how hard Astoria had tried was not changing into a bird. Astoria had felt embarrassed, her Head of House and Transfiguration teacher had been there for her and she didn't want to disappoint her, but despite her effort, her natural ability with transfiguration was low, to say the least.

She waved her wand angrily, tracing the sideways figure eight sporadically in an attempt for any sort of result before throwing her wand down with a frustrated groan, cupping her face in her hand and cursing loudly. Her stomach growled and Astoria closed her eyes tightly in an attempt to ignore it. Finding quiet time for her to work was hard, and she had decided to skip dinner and head towards the empty astronomy tower with the hopes of finally mastering her spell. But clearly, it was all for not as angrily she muttered looking down at the cup, "Damn it, why can't I do it?"

However, before she could continue with her monologue of a rant, she felt a hand placed atop her head and in a calm demeanor she heard the warm voice say, "You're not giving up already, are you, short-stack?"

She moved her face from her hands and found the emerald green pools she knew was connected to that voice. Harry Potter was standing over her, and easy smile on his face as she stared up at him with a mixture of shame and embarrassment, "How much of that did you see?"

"Enough," Harry said with the same easy grin, "Figured I should come join you before you poked your eye out with those crazy wand waves, short-stack."

"Don't call me that," Astoria said grumpily, "I'm not in a good mood."

"Sorry short-stack," Harry called still smiling, "I couldn't hear you from down there."

She chuckled, Harry's joke making her feel a bit better before she glanced back at her cup and allowed her defeated feeling to return to her, "Why are you even here? Did Daphne send you, because if she did, tell her I don't want to talk to her right now."

Harry moved his hand from the top of her head to her shoulder as he slowly sat down, his hands behind him before he sighed looking up at the full moon in the sky. Astoria had known Harry for about two weeks now, but he had never seen the look he currently had on his face as he stared at a small shack just on the outskirts of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, a look of concern. He seemingly forced down the concern, however, before turning to Astoria and smiling slightly, "She's just worried about you, you know? She's trying to be a good sister."

"I can't believe she somehow got you on her side," Astoria huffed feeling slightly hurt at Harry's betrayal.

"Her side?" Harry asked with a chuckle, "No way, I said she was trying to be a good sister, not a rational one. I still think you're in the right. You should never let anyone dictate what you can and can't do, even if it's done with good intentions."

"So, Daphne didn't send you?" Astoria asked.

"Is it so hard to believe I'd go looking for a friend out of the goodness of my heart?" Harry asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"No, sorry," Astoria spoke nervously, "But speaking of things I can't do…" her voice trailed off as she examined the cup.

"Hey," Harry said warmly, "Everyone has schools of magic they aren't great in. When I was being privately tutored, I was god awful at Potions and Herbology, honestly, I'm still pretty bad at both subjects. But even so, that doesn't mean that the only option left is to give up and call it a day. I was talking to Michael, who talked to Hermione, who then came to lecture me because I lied and said I was the one having trouble with transfiguration, and somewhere in her garbled mess of a lecture she gave me a good idea. Sometimes, we just have to approach things from a different angle."

It was at that moment that Astoria realized what Harry was holding in his other hand. It was another goblet. Astoria turned to face Harry in confusion as Harry placed down the cup and with a tap of his wand to the goblet he spoke, "Avifors," and on command, the goblet turned into a small and tiny blue-jay.

"How was this supposed to help me?" Astoria said in a mixture of confusion and irritation.

"I'm getting to that short-stack," Harry said with a grin, "You're trying to turn a water goblet into a bird, right? Well, like all schools of magic, you can't really brute force your way into success. This is especially true in transfiguration. Before you try and make the transformation work, you have to visualize it. That's why I decided to create my own lovely assistant."

The Blue-jay tweeted happily before it climbed on Harry's finger and with a look of warm encouragement, Harry spoke, "I want you to look at my bird here, memorize every detail. Memorize the black ring around the neck, the elongated blue and black tiled tail feather, the sharp black beak, the white underbelly, visualize the bird until you could draw it with your eyes closed."

Astoria felt somewhat dumb as she entered the staring contest with the bird, doing as Harry suggested and attempting to memorize every feature of the blue-jay. Astoria had wanted to close her eyes and try after just five minutes, but Harry encouraged her to take as much time as she needed to visualize the bird. Astoria had expected Harry's arm to tire, or for him to lose his patience, but Harry sat there, a pleasant look on his face simply sending a stream of confidence towards her with his eyes. Harry didn't complain, he didn't say a word about the fact he was missing dinner, he didn't say a word about how he could have been using this time to study, he didn't even do an impatient clearing of the throat, he just stood there a positive look in his eyes with incredible discipline.

Finally, Astoria closed her eyes, and to her great delight, it was as if she hadn't close them at all. The image of Harry's transfigured Blue-Jay had been etched into her memory to the point she could vividly picture every small detail from the sharpness of its toes to the exact shade of blue it's feathers were. In an excited whisper, she spoke, "I can see it, like my eyes are open, I completely see it."

"Good," Harry said as he lifted her wand and placed it back in her hand, "Now without opening your eyes, complete the movement and say the spell."

With the image of the Blue-Jay in her mind, she allowed her arm to move in the sideways figure eight and with a calm voice she spoke, "Avifors!" Suddenly to her complete an utter disbelief she heard a loud squawking emerge from the direction of her cup as she opened her eyes and smiled at the miniature version of a Blue-Jay stood in front of her where the cup used to be. It wasn't perfect as the color wasn't exactly right, and the beak was slightly crooked, but Astoria had done it, she had transfigured the cup into a bird. She leapt for Harry as she cried, "I did it! I actually did it!"

"I knew you had it in you," Harry said warmly before she released him from her hug.

The smile on her face, however, turned into an uneasy grin as a loud grumble emerged from her stomach. Harry laughed as Astoria joined in, allowing the unease she was feeling melt into laughter. "Don't suppose we would make it to the Great Hall in time for dinner."

"Don't worry about it," Harry said as he dug into his book bag pulling out two ham sandwiches, "I planned ahead."

"You're the best," Astoria said happily taking the sandwich from Harry.

"Could you say that a little louder," Harry said teasingly, "I didn't quite hear you from down there short-stack?"

"Whatever," Astoria said with a joyful laugh, and as she bit into the sandwich, she wasn't quite sure, but she could swear she had heard a set of footsteps walking away from the Astronomy Tower.

* * *

**(Daphne P.O.V)**

Daphne wasn't sure how to feel as she marched towards the Slytherin Common Room after witnessing what she had just seen. Her heart hurt, but her face would never show it, she was the Ice Queen, and the Ice Queen was not allowed to feel hurt. Still, her chest felt heavy as she returned to her dorm, two sandwiches in her own book-bag. Tracey and Blaise had both spent the last week berating her for her stubborn decision to tell Astoria to stay away from Harry and had really opened her eyes that bowing to Malfoy's whims would only be a temporary solution until he had gotten bored of her just like what had happened to Sophie Roper and Alice Tolipan.

She had finally relinquished the fact that she was in the wrong, and more importantly, Daphne couldn't handle fighting with the only real family she had left. Tonight, was the night she had been planning to apologize and put everything behind them. However, when she had arrived at the Astronomy Tower, she had been surprised to hear not just Astoria's voice, but Potter's as well. Cautiously, Daphne had crept towards the wall just beside the room, and as silently as she could, she listened.

She had been expecting to hear Astoria rant to Harry about how awful of a sister Daphne was being, but instead, to her great surprise, she heard Harry defend her, despite all the coldness she had shown him since the day they had first met. Yes, Harry had explicitly stated that Daphne was acting irrationally, but he still claimed that she was doing her best to handle the situation.

Upon hearing that, Daphne now felt involved in the conversation and couldn't bring herself to walk away, though now as she headed towards her dorm she desperately wished she had. She hated how she was feeling inside, she was feeling jealous at the pep-talk Harry had given to Astoria. While Daphne was more cautious than Harry, she couldn't deny that the message of not giving up was something Astoria needed to hear and it was also something Daphne could never truly mean.

Daphne lived in a world of cruel reality. Her sister was dying, she had lost her parents, and despite every-single attempt to find a cure for her sister's condition over the last two years, all of them had come up short. Giving up was what she wanted to do more than anything, but she couldn't allow herself to quit. Had it been Daphne giving Astoria the speech, she would have gone about it through a process of breaking down statistics or how each grade was inputted into the scorebook, and how even if Astoria couldn't master on spell she could still get an O in the class, and how and Exceeds Expectation wasn't a bad grade either. But the speech Harry had given her didn't console Astoria like her's would have, his speech had re-invigorated her, and with that renewed energy, she had tried the spell again.

Daphne watched and marveled at Harry's patience as Astoria stood there for twenty plus minutes memorizing every nook and cranny of his transfigured Blue-Jay without saying a word. A show of patience and discipline that Daphne herself couldn't help but envy. She smiled as she saw Astoria complete the spell and wanted to go out there and hug her sister to show her how proud she was, but Astoria didn't jump into her arms, she instead, had jumped into Harry's.

It was hard for her to accept, but Harry, the friend she had tried so hard to pull Astoria away from had made her sister laugh and had filled her with a renewed sense of confidence that had it been Daphne she would have simply tried to rationalize away. It was in that moment that she couldn't take it anymore, she swallowed down the lump in her throat, it was stupid, but Daphne couldn't help but feel like she was being replaced in her sister's life. She loved Astoria, but Daphne had never realized how little she had supported her younger sister's ambitions, instead, all she had ever thought of was protecting her, and now she was paying the price. She had heard it directly from her sister's mouth, to her Harry Potter was the best.

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry had gone to bed rather late after Astoria and himself had gorged themselves on snacks Harry had instructed Kreacher to go and purchase for them from Honey Dukes, and Harry couldn't stop himself from chuckling at the surprised look on Kreacher's face when he had offered his House Elf a Chocolate Cauldron as thanks for his help. It had shocked Astoria as well as she had later told him that she had never seen anyone treat a House-Elf with kindness, most never saying thank you for their elf's service. It was something that Harry honestly found disgusting, because as unpleasant as Kreacher used to be towards him, he could never imagine treating another living creature so harshly, unless of course said creature had the dark-mark on their arm, then they'd get no mercy from Harry.

Regardless, after taking a small stomach pain-suppressing elixir, he had fallen asleep with a smile on his face, tomorrow morning would be the day of Quidditch Try-Outs, and armed with his new broom which received awes when he had entered the common room from nearly everyone who had asked if they could hold it or try it sometimes, which Harry had agreed to under supervision, he felt ready. The only thing that rubbed him the wrong way was the jealous glare of Ronald Weasley, and in an attempt to make up for Loki nearly eating his rat, Harry had approached the red-head and spoke, "You can have first go if you want Ron, I haven't even ridden it myself yet."

"I don't need your charity Potter," He said angrily before storming upstairs leaving Harry feeling bewildered in the Common Room. Harry had stared blankly into the crowd who all simply shrugged before returning to their activities before being stopped by Fred and George.

"Don't let it bother you-," George said kindly.

"Ron has a bit of a jealousy problem-," Fred said.

"Never had much growing-up-," George said, though it didn't seem to bother him

"Made us value what we did have though," Fred finished.

"Except Ron," George began once more.

"He's always wanting more," Fred said.

"Doesn't take the time to realize what he has," George finished.

"A family," The twins said together, "Don't take it too hard."

"Ron was going to try out for the team this year too," Fred started.

"He's already nervous, and now you got a new broom so he's even more worried," George said.

"But still," The twins said, "Good luck Harry, may the best flyer win."

It was only when Harry had returned to the Third-Year boys' dormitory did he see the redhead polishing his now ancient Cleansweep-Three. Harry was unsure what position Ron was even trying out for but seeing as Wood was the Keeper and the Captain, he couldn't go for that, and Harry reckoned that he wouldn't try to take one of his brother's spot on the team. It wasn't until he remembered cleaning the Gallery and seeing the name Charlie Weasley under the seeker spot of the last Quidditch Cup won by Gryffindor did Harry piece together that he and Ron were trying out for the same spot. A semblance of guilt filled his heart, but Harry couldn't let pity overtake him, he had just as much of a family legacy to live up to as Ron if not more. It weighed heavy on his heart as he slept, but Harry intended to win.

His alarm blared to life and quickly Harry jumped from his bed to find Loki once again glaring out at Ron's bed. Slowly, Harry pet his familiar as he spoke, "I wish you could talk boy because I really don't understand what's wrong with you. Are you feeling okay?"

Loki purred softly as Harry scratched his white underbelly, but as soon as Harry's hand parted from his cat after receiving some loving finger licks, Loki curled up on his bed and once again faced Ron's four-poster bed, obeying Harry's orders to stay down, but clearly not too happily. However, Harry couldn't mull it over for long as breakfast was beginning to be served, and Harry wanted to eat something hardy. He quickly showered before changing into a Gryffindor Red Compression Shirt with Black Gym shorts before meeting Astoria in the Common Room who was currently reading up on her Transfiguration homework for next week before the two of them departed for the Great Hall together, Harry's Firebolt slung carefully over his shoulder.

When Harry had arrived for breakfast early Saturday morning, the Great Hall was relatively empty except for the Gryffindor table that was beaming with excitement for the try-outs. While Angelina and Wood look terrifyingly focused, Alicia and Katie seemed rather care-free and confident that they would be keeping their position on the team. Before Harry could even sit though, Fred and George walked up to him.

"Harry, have you seen Ron?" The twins asked together.

"Yeah," Harry said, "He was still asleep when I left."

The twins looked at each other for a moment before they groaned, "Idiot." Before what Harry could only guess was their march towards the tower to wake their brother up before try-outs so he wouldn't be late or starving without breakfast. Together, Astoria and Harry took their seats at the table before Astoria spoke, "How are you feeling? Nervous?"

"Should be fine," Harry said with a shrug, "I mean, it's not like I'm flying against Victor Krum or something, I just have to be better than everyone else who tries out."

"That's one way to look at it," Astoria grumbled, clearly a bit perturbed over Harry's seemingly non-existent nerves. However, Astoria wasn't the only one who seemed to start a conversation with him as from the entrance of the Great Hall he heard a familiar voice.

"Potter!" Michael said cheerfully dressed in Gryffindor Colors holding a banner with the name Potter charmed on the red banner in gold.

"Really?" Harry said with a chuckle at his friends attempt to embarrass him.

"Got to support my brother after all," Michael said taking a seat at the Gryffindor table. Astoria's face was clearly shocked that nobody seemed to mind a non-lion sitting at the table, but after Michael's stunt on Snape, most Gryffindors had silently agreed to make Corner and honorary member, "So," Michael started, "How you feeling, loose? Good? I got to know because as nice of a bloke as Cedric is, if I have to hear Chang fawn over how awesome he is I might just lose my mind."

Angelina choked on the milk she was drinking from laughing before Katie began to pat her on the back helping her swallow before she spoke, "That explains why Ravenclaw can never beat Hufflepuff, their seeker is sending Diggory googly-eyes."

"Tell me about it," Michael said with a groan, "Although, I can't talk too much trash about the Claw's team as I've decided that if you're trying out Potter, I might as well give it a try too."

"What position are you going for?" Katie asked kindly.

"I'm thinking Chaser," Michael said calmly.

"Well, Davies and Burrow are going to be tough," Alicia said in a focused tone joining the conversation, "But honestly, Stretton isn't that good, depending on your skill, you should be able to dethrone him."

"That gives me some hope," Michael said with a chuckle, "But honestly, I don't care who wins as long as it's not Slytherin. The way they walked around after winning the House Cup two years ago was unbearable."

"I'll drink to that," Lee Jordan spoke lifting his pumpkin juice.

"You'll drink to anything," Katie said with a side-eye and smirk.

"Harsh," Jordan said, "But true."

Katie laughed as Jordan put his arm around her comfortingly kissing her temple causing Angelina and Alicia to fake gag and Katie just shook her head, "Whatever, you two are just jealous that Fred and Davies haven't asked you out yet."

"Careful Bell," Alicia said harshly but Harry just laughed at the banter of the teammates he had hoped to join.

Before anyone else could respond, the doors of the Great Hall sprung open, and out rushed Ron in mismatched clothes a look of panic in his eyes as he raced towards the table and quickly began shoving his face full of food. Harry felt a smirk tug at this lip as he saw Fred give Angelina an embarrassed look which just caused the normally very serious girl to smile as the twins took a seat on either side of her.

For Harry, Astoria, and Michael, the mood was much less pleasant as they were within the splash-zone of Ron's feral eating habits, and Katie, Lee, and Alicia each looked at Ron with a genuine look of concern that he could choke at the speed he was eating. However, Wood seemingly tuned everything out, as the second the clock struck eight, he stood up and spoke, "Everyone trying out follow me to the quidditch pitch."

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

It was pretty chilly out on the pitch as September was beginning to fade into October and it was this early morning hour and chill that had caused Harry to be surprised with how packed the bleachers of the pitch were. While Gryffindor's was clearly the most packed, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw each had a sizable amount of spectators, and as Harry assumed was customary, Slytherin had sent their team to watch as well for what could only be described as scouting.

Harry's eyes scanned the bleachers and of course, he soon found his fan club of Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, and Fay Dunbar cheering loudly for him or sending air-blown kisses. Something Harry desperately wished wasn't currently happening right now, as while he wasn't unfamiliar with flirting, it wasn't much fun if it was all based on status rather than actual attraction. However, his mood was lifted when he saw that Astoria and Corner had found a spot right in the front of the Gryffindor Box holding the Potter Banner highly and cheering for him loudly.

The Ravenclaw group was full of faces he mostly hadn't recognized, which considering that group of Claws he did recognize consisted of only Hermione and Michael mostly made sense, though he promised himself he would make a better effort to get to know more Claws. Brain power is always useful to have, and if two heads are better than one than surely three or more is better than two.

His eyes then moved towards Hufflepuff where he saw three faces he recognized. First was Cedric, he was nice enough, prefect, model student, honestly a real stand up guy and with his large stature, good looks, and grey eyes that exuded warmth unlike Malfoy's, Harry could understand why the boy was so popular. The second was a girl with Amber eyes and long auburn hair, the girl he had caught Michael staring at quite often named Susan Bones. Harry knew he had to make friends with that girl, not just because she seemed nice enough, but because it would be so much easier to make fun of Michael and more importantly, if she was related to Madam Bones, then a friendship with her would be a great move to laterally connect with the person that could gain Sirius his innocence once again.

Also, in the Hufflepuff stand was Neville Longbottom. He had gotten quite sick after his dip in the Black Lake, and the Grindylow venom had taken some time to clear his body causing him to miss the first week and so of school. Harry waved up to the boy and shyly, Neville gave Harry and thumbs up which he nodded in appreciation for. The Longbottom's were a good family, and Neville honestly seemed like a nice guy, he'd definitely have to spend more time with Neville, and maybe he could ingratiate the lonely Hufflepuff into his group. Harry couldn't really put it into words, but when Harry had first grabbed Neville's wrist, he felt a dormant power in the Longbottom heir that he felt maybe having some friends could bring out of him. Plus, Harry sucked at Herbology which he shared with Hufflepuff house, and from what he understood, Neville was a bit of a Herbology savant.

Finally, his eyes traced to the seven members of Slytherin that had come to watch the try-outs. The first was a tall and muscular boy who Wood had said on a multitude of occasions was the captain of the dirtiest Quidditch team to ever play the game. His ghastly teeth made the image of Marcus Flint unmistakable. Beside Flint on each side where the two beaters, two hairy, large boys that resembled gorillas more than men, and but the size of Crabbe and Goyle to shame. Angelina had pointed the two out to him before, the Strong-Arm Duo Peregrine Derrick and Lucian Bole. The only two beaters to ever serve detention for admitting having purposely struck a player with a bludger.

Behind Flint were the two other chasers of Slytherin, Graham Montague and Cassius Warrington, two muscle-bound boys with a propensity for causing pain and brains so small that Harry had once heard Alicia tell George that she was shocked that the two boys had managed to find the pitch without a map. Miles Bletchley arguably the most honest member of the Slytherin team stayed on as keeper but that didn't really mean much in terms of the Snake's team as Bletchley like the rest of his team had taken key players out of games using "excessive blocking." And in the center of the group, the Blonde Ponce of Slytherin, the only person to have bought their way onto a House Team in years, seeker Draco Malfoy.

However, none of that mattered at the moment, it became rapidly clear to Harry that there was only one spot being currently sought after, the seeker spot. To Harry's right, a boy name Rahul Tandel, a tall Indian looking boy with short black hair and dim brown eyes. To his left, Ronald Weasley, a look of focus Harry had never seen from the boy in any of the classes they shared. Harry had played non-wizarding sports while in school, and as was taught to him, he leaned over to Rahul and outreached his hand which Tandel took shaking it. However, when Harry had reached out to Ron saying, "May the best flyer win."

Ron simply shook off his handshake as with a growl he said, "Don't act like you're better than me Potter. I'm going to win, just watch."

"Alright," Harry said, all empathy for the boy completely lost as he shrugged, "We'll see."

Before the conversation could go on further, Oliver Wood stepped forward, "Right!" He called getting everyone's attention, "Seems we're only trying out for the Seeker spot, should make this nice a quick. Tryouts are going to be simple." He reached into a trunk pulling out the golden ball Harry recognized as a snitch, "This here's the Golden Snitch. It's fast and crafty, to be the seeker of this team, you'll have to be more so. I'm going to set this off ten times, the person who catches the snitch the most times wins. But you'll not only have to focus on catching the snitch, but I'll also be releasing the two bludgers as well to mimic as best as possible a realistic Quidditch scenario. This is supposed to be a nice clean game, so if I see any spells thrown, you're out. Now that the rules have been established, are there any questions?"

The pitch was silent and Wood nodded, "Alright, flyers, mount your brooms," As quickly as he could, Harry hopped on his Firebolt, a look of determination on his face as he watched Ron and Rahul do the same. Wood lifted the snitch in his hand before he threw it up in the air, "Begin!"

Like a bolt of lightning, Harry sprung into action, the speed of his broom compared to his comet 140 momentarily throwing him off as he had never ascended so quickly. However, while his Firebolt did give him an initial jump, Rahul was tailing him, and Ron wasn't far behind. The scouring of the field began as the three bolted apart in search of the snitch. Rahul went low checking beneath the stands for the golden ball, while Ron flew up high, hoping to catch a bird's eyes view of the pitch. But the cloudy skies had stopped Harry from copying Ron's tactic as without a doubt his vision would be muddled soon.

Instead, Harry flew circles around the center of the pitch, waiting to spot the golden ball. For a moment, nothing moved, but then, like the spark from a firecracker, a hint of gold swooshed passed him. As if he was a moth to a flame, Harry entered hot pursuit and seeing that Harry was on the trail, Ron and Rahul sped quickly behind them. The snitch dipped, and without hesitation, Harry barreled after it. Harry rushed the earth as if gravity had been doubled, his vision became tunneled from the acceleration and all he could see was the ground racing towards him and the snitch in his path.

Ron and Rahul had pulled off the dive, but Harry steeled himself. Harry felt alive on a broom, there wasn't a care in the world while he was flying, and more importantly, Harry felt invincible on his Firebolt. Harry heard the crowd gasp as he was now mere inches from the ground, but his focus was entirely on the snitch. On a dime, the snitch shot upward, but refusing to quit, with barely any room to complete the maneuver, Harry rolled, his back feeling the long blades of grass before like a rocket he shot up towards the snitch leaving the crowd momentarily speechless before with an extended reach, Harry had caught the first snitch.

The silence lasted a little longer until Harry lifted his fist in the air triumphantly, and every single house outside of Slytherin cheered and applauded Harry's first capture. "Not bad Potter!" Wood called, "Now bring it down, try-outs aren't over yet." A fire of confidence burned in Harry's stomach, the look of shock on both Ron and Rahul's face spoke volumes, Harry refused to lose.

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Sweat was beating down Harry's brow as they readied for the final set. Harry had won seven of the ten, and while the competition was technically over as there was nothing either Ron or Rahul could do to beat him, he wanted to play it out. It had been too long since he had felt this alive up in the air, and while some of the bleachers had cleared after finding out Harry would be the seeker this year, Harry couldn't help but smile at the fact that Astoria and Michael had stayed, as well as Neville and now there were two arrivals that had appeared amid attempt 5, Professor McGonagall and Lupin.

Harry gave his Uncle a wave which he returned with a proud smile before Wood through the snitch up in the air once more. Quickly both he and Rahul rushed the snitch, while Ron had thrown his broom to the ground in frustration before walking off. However, Harry couldn't pay the red-head any mind as Harry saw Rahul bolting after a golden flicker and Harry raced after him. Once Harry had caught up to him though, Rahul had seemingly lost the snitch in the growing fog, but to Harry's delight, he saw a small flicker of gold at the right side of the Keeper's post. Harry rushed the rings and with grace and agility, Harry flew effortlessly through the rings chasing the snitch. But the snitch clearly wasn't done yet as it rocketed into the foggy sky.

Harry quickly ascended after it but had to pull back hard as a rouge bludger had just passed his face, barely missing his nose causing the remaining audience to gasp. The only smile was from Malfoy who had stuck around no doubt in the hopes a bludger would have landed its mark. Harry quickly flipped his broom backward, recovering as he entered the fog-clad atmosphere in search of the golden ball. As Harry rose, the fog became darker and darker until it was no longer fog, but a terrifying black mist and though Harry tried to fight it, his body began to tremble and shake as his breath became visible amongst the clouds.

Then he felt it, it hit him like a freight train, his head started to hurt, and all the feelings of his happiness had vanished in an instant, as in the distance, a gliding, wraith-like creature covered in black veils emerged from the mist. Like torture, visions from Harry's nightmares had appeared to him, he saw what he imagined was the face of Voldemort walking over the bodies of Sirius, Andromeda, Remus, and Tonks laughing. He saw visions of his father being slaughtered. And then, finally, he heard the most god-awful noise he'd ever experienced. Screaming, shouting, and begging, all emerging from a woman's voice.

"Please," The panic woman begged, "Please not Harry! Kill me! Kill me instead!"

"Move!" A voice hissed in his head.

"I won't," The lady responded, it was quiet for a moment before he heard the woman shout in agony before she whispered, "It's going to be okay Harry, mama loves you, she won't let anything happen to you, mama will always love-,"

_"Avada Kedavra!" _The hissing voice shouted and a flare of green light encapsulated Harry's vision. Then, Harry's vision went black as he let go of his broom not having the strength to hold on.

As his body plummeted through the clouds, the foul creatures did not relent in their pursuit. The screaming didn't stop, it was all he could hear, his mother begging for his life, screaming in agony, and Harry could do nothing. His body felt limp and cold, and at that moment, as a shroud of depression surrounded him, all Harry could think about was how badly he wanted to die.

The screams of his mother soon faded under the sounds of the crowd screaming in panic, and Harry had closed his eyes, praying for the torture to stop before with the last of his fleeting consciousness he heard two voice belonging to Remus and Professor McGonagall cry out, "_Expecto Patronum" _and, _"Immobulus," _Then, everything stopped and Harry faded away.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that certainly is a way to end a chapter huh? Well to start positive, I hope you enjoyed Harry teaching Astoria the spell, and I'm glad Astoria's becoming as much of a fan favorite as she has, makes me feel happy that one of my characterizations of a JKR character that received no page time has gone so well. It appears Daphne has also learned some things about both Harry and Astoria which could lead to some very interesting future development. In terms of less fun things, sorry for making Ron such a stinker, I'm not sure if any die-hard Ron fans read my work, but if they do, he will get better... eventually. It is a multi-book adventure so it may take some time, but we'll get there. But I hope you enjoyed my first attempt at writing a quidditch game, and I hope you feel I encapsulated what Harry's dementor visions would be about well. Apart from that, I just wanted to say I'm so thankful for all the support, and I hope I can count on your continued readership. If you enjoyed, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until next time, Peace!**


	11. Chapter XI: Memories of Tom

**A/N: Honestly, all this traveling I've been doing and moving makes writing consistently hard, but I hate to leave you guys hanging so I'm doing my best. It seems despite me stating that this was my first story ever, I still get comments that like to tell me they're dropping the story because it's garbage. Honestly, if it wasn't for all the positive comments you guys leave me, I don't think I could keep doing this. Your support means a ton to me, and while this may not be my best chapter ever, I hope you thoroughly enjoy it. You guys are the best readers a guy can ask for, and I hope I'm worth the time you've put into reading my work. Thanks again for 700+ follows and without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter XI: Memories of Tom

**(Michael P.O.V)**

A yawn escaped Michael's mouth as he tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes. It had been two days since Harry had fallen off his broom, and to the surprise and confusion of nearly everyone, he still hadn't woken up. Both Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore claimed that it was nothing to worry about as Harry's vitals were all stable, and the Dementors hadn't managed to kiss him, but Michael couldn't help but feel concerned as nobody, at least to his knowledge, had ever faded into a coma from a dementor's presence.

It was strange for Michael, when he was younger he used to alienate people from his life, they were boring and simple and he really didn't like that. However, he didn't like being lonely any better so instead, he had turned to mischief to avoid the conflicted feelings of loneliness and disinterest that resided inside him. He had never truly made a friend until Harry, and they had been getting along swimmingly. But now, Harry was comatose and nobody seemed to understand why.

Michael was smart, he would dare say he was the brightest wizard of his age, and he felt that for his best and only real friend he would shed his laziness and try to figure out the reason behind Harry's new-found condition. He had snuck into the forbidden section of the library with the help of Fred and George and had started reading as many books on dementors as he could.

He found out a lot about them, how they were unkillable, how Azkaban had actually been created from the island in which Dementor's first spawned, how only the Patronus Charm was capable of safeguarding one against their attacks, but he had found nothing that explained Harry's slow recovery. Fred and George had helped him read some books, Astoria had fallen asleep in the library twice from being up until the wee hours reading the awful details of dementors, and even Neville had come to lend a hand. Yet, there was still no explanation.

The library was empty and closing hours would be happening soon. In his mind, he calculated who was on Harry watch. He normally took the morning shift, Fred and George visiting around lunch with Angelina, and followed normally by Astoria or Professor Lupin who would check in between classes. Michael was surprised that one-time Lupin had come in with a rather large black dog, and when he had asked, Lupin had explained that while in the muggle world Harry had adopted a dog and he had read that sometimes animals could help in a person's recovery.

Michael was not really handling it all that well, but Astoria was even worse. It wasn't a mystery to anyone that knew the two of them that Astoria had started looking up to Harry as an older brother and honestly Harry had been rather protective of the first-year lioness as well. Michael took a deep breath before letting out an aggravated sigh. He was a genius, Harry was his friend, he should have been able to come up with something, anything to help Harry out, but all he was drawing was a big blank.

Michael's stomach growled loudly, he had been skipping meals to do research and to be honest, he was sure he hadn't had an actual meal since the breakfast before Gryffindor try-outs. Just before Michael was about to open up another book he heard a voice call out, "Michael?"

Quickly he turned around, facing her was the girl he spent so much time thinking about. Susan Bones was standing in the hallway of the Library a concerned looked on her face. Michael turned to her, but given the lack of sleep he doubted that he looked very reassuring as he gave a small grin, "Hey Red, what's up?"

"I just came to check on you," Susan said kindly, "I heard from Neville you've been spending most of your time here. I haven't seen you in the Great Hall for meals so I just got a little worried."

"I'm okay," Michael lied, "I just need to figure this out. I have to be missing something, it just doesn't make sense."

"Harry's going to be okay," Susan said in a very assured tone.

"I wish I felt as confident about it as you do," Michael sighed, "He's my best friend you know, and I just feel like such a failure."

Susan walked over towards him. Michael watched as she pulled up a chair next to him before turning to face him, forcing eye contact. Michael felt his anxiety relax as he stared into her amber pools, and with a calm voice, she spoke, "You're not a failure. In fact, I'm sort of impressed. I always knew you were smart, I saw it during our first year of Defense Against the Dark Arts when you instantly deduced that something was fishy about Professor Quirrell. But, seeing all this, seeing how hard you're working, it's admirable, it's certainly not something to be ashamed of."

"I still haven't figure out a way to help him though," Michael said tiredly, "God I hate feeling so helpless. All of this brainpower for nothing it's just so-"

"Stop," Susan said and Michael felt his body calm as he felt Susan take his hand in hers, "Just take a deep breath, okay? When was the last time you had something to eat that wasn't a to-go snack?"

"Uh," Michael said, "Couple days."

"Alright, first we get you something to eat," Susan said calmly, "Then you get some sleep and we'll get started on research again tomorrow."

"We'll?" Michael asked in confusion.

"You're my friend Corner," Susan said with a smile, "Of course I'll help. But let's get some food first."

"You know that dinner's over right, Red?" Michael said a small smile on his face.

"Did you know that the Hufflepuff Common Room is right next to the Hogwarts' Kitchens?" Susan said with a grin, "Come on, I know a way."

* * *

**(Daphne P.O.V)**

Daphne lay down in her bed, stress filling her mind. She had convinced herself that she couldn't care less about Potter's condition, a thing that was cause for much celebration in the Slytherin Common Room much to her disgust, yet something about it all was bothering her. She too had studied dementors, not in the way she had witnessed her sister, the Weasley Twins, Longbottom, and Corner studying them, but she had studied the effects a dementor has on one's psychology.

Yet never in her research did she hear of a dementor causing a coma without first removing a person's soul. Fudge had appeared at his earliest convenience to muddle on about how what happened to Harry being a strange anomaly and how he would ensure the ministry would be there for Potter when he awoke, but it was bothering her that it didn't make sense. The other thing that had bothered her was the stress she saw on her sister's face.

There was a reason Daphne wasn't sorted into the House of the Brave. She had wanted to apology to her sister many times, but each time she pushed it back not wanting to have the fight or to worse have to admit she was wrong aloud, though she had accepted the fact in her heart. Her younger sister wasn't eating, the bags under her eyes showed her lack of sleep, and for as long as Daphne could remember, Astoria had always been a smiley child. Now, however, Daphne couldn't think of the last time she had seen her sister smile, it made her nauseous, seeing such evident unhappiness in her sister, she needed to do something. Harry had enough people there for him, Daphne worried about nobody being there for her sister.

Finally, building up the resolve, she threw herself out of bed and began to brush the knots out of her hair, "Where are you going?" Tracey called out from her own bunk.

"Hospital wing," Daphne responded curtly.

"To go see Potter?" Tracey said with a smirk.

"No," She said firmly, though it was hard for her to deny that Potter had been on her mind since she had witnessed him teaching Astoria in the astronomy tower. The level of ease and calm Harry had as he taught, it pained her to say it, but she felt that Harry had it in him to be a great Professor one day if he wanted to be.

Tracey just chuckled, "You are so into him. Why don't you just admit it? You talk about him all the time, you're constantly sneaking glances at him from our table, hell, you even criticize the girls that come up and flirt with him. What did you call Brown again?"

"Shut up Trace-," Daphne started.

"A talentless, scantily-clad, bimbo, right?" Tracey finished causing Daphne to hiss angrily.

"It was one time, I was having a bad day, it had nothing to do with Potter," Daphne said with irritation.

"Sure, you just happened to lash out at a girl that's always chasing after the guy you're always staring at pretending to hate," Tracey said with a smirk, "Admit it, you call him arrogant, but part of you likes it. Guys who are weak and stutter when they try to flirt with you or have no confidence in themselves drive you up the wall. You don't like Malfoy because he's boastful along with a flurry of other issues, but Potter isn't boastful, he's just confident, and I find it quite funny."

"Well I'm glad you find his arrogance humorous," Daphne said heatedly, "But like I said, me going to the Hospital Wing has nothing to do with him."

"Sure it doesn't," Tracey said with a playful wink, "Don't stay out too late or people might start getting the wrong idea."

"Tracey," Daphne said with a sigh, "He's in a coma."

"You've never read sleeping beauty?" Tracey said with a chuckle forcing Daphne to roll her eyes.

"Whatever," She mumbled and with the echoing of Tracey's snickering, Daphne departed to find her sister, and though she'd never admit to it, she planned to check in on Potter as well, but only for research purposes.

The walk to the infirmary was far, and it wasn't helped that she had stopped by the kitchens to ask for a late-night snack in case her sister was hungry. Daphne was slightly worried about how she'd return to her common room without losing points for being out after hours, but at this point, it didn't matter, she needed to make sure Astoria was okay, and if she lost a few house points for it, so be it. Honestly, her little sister's protectiveness over Harry and vice-versa was both inspiring and confusing. The two had known each other for less than four weeks and yet they had such a close-knit friendship, the kind that Daphne and Tracey had taken years to develop. She wasn't sure how he did it, but Daphne was really beginning to consider Harry's ability to make deep friendships in such a short time a near superpower.

Pushing that mystery out of her head, for now, Daphne had opened the infirmary, and in the distance, was a bed surrounded in sweets, flowers, and a bunch of other junk. However, it wasn't the contents that surrounded the bed, but the person laying there that drew most of Daphne's attention. Harry Potter was a hero to a lot of girls growing up, and Astoria was no different. Daphne used to laugh when she'd bring back books about the adventures of Harry Potter to read. But that boy laying on the bed, pale as a ghost looked nothing like the superhero the stories had portrayed him as. Harry looked weak and broken, and for some reason, it infuriated Daphne.

How could the boy that constantly flirted with her and drove her insane ever look that weak? She wanted to go over there and shake Potter back to reality and yell at him for playing around, but the fact of the matter was that he wasn't. It wasn't some elaborate prank, Harry was suffering from some sort of ailment, and not even Madam Pomfrey knew what it was. For a fleeting moment, Daphne had felt a flicker of concern for the Boy-Who-Lived. However, the flicker of concern was erased upon seeing the person she had truly come to see. Her kaleidoscopic eyes were puffy, and her jet-black hair was braided poorly, worse than Daphne believed Astoria would ever allow them to be. Her younger sister was sitting there, at the visitor's chair right beside Harry's bed checking on the moist towel laid across his forehead, a stack of cards in her hand.

As Daphne drew closer, she began hearing her sister mutter to herself a string of comments that would have been funny had she not been so depressed, "This one is from Neville's Gran, you'll probably want to read that one later," She then began to once again toss a myriad of different letter in the trash as she sighed, "Fan mail, fan mail, fan mail, marriage contract, fan mail, broom closet inquire," Then she stopped, "A letter from the Minister himself, probably important."

"Organizing his mail now, are we?" Daphne chimed in.

Astoria quickly turned around, and Daphne had a chance to really see up-close the amount of exhaustion etched onto her younger sister's face, "Don't sneak up on me like that, jeez."

"Sorry," Daphne said pulling up a chair and sitting next to her sister, "I saw you didn't make it to dinner, you must be hungry."

"Why do you care?" Astoria grumbled, "Afraid I'm going to die of hunger before my blood curse kills me."

"Astoria don't say that," Daphne said firmly. She had always been overprotective of her younger sister because of her disease, but in Astoria's exhausted state, she seemingly let slip just how irritated Daphne's constant vigilance of her made her, "We may have had a fight, but you know I still love you. And that blood curse is not going to kill you because I am going to find a cure for you. I promise."

Astoria looked down at the ground, "What kind of food did you bring?"

"Some kind of steak and arugula sandwich the elves in the kitchen made," Daphne said handing the sandwich from her bag to Astoria, "They look a little lumpy, but they are really good."

"Thanks," Astoria said meekly as she bit into the sandwich a sad smile on her face, "I wish Harry was better already. I miss talking to him, the Gryffindor common room hasn't been much fun without him."

"He's going to be alright Astoria," Daphne said gripping her sister's shoulder, "The Dark Lord couldn't kill Potter. I doubt a dementor ever stood a chance."

A slight smile appeared on Astoria's lips as she nodded before her face turned serious, "Hey Daph?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry," Astoria said, "I've had a lot of time to think while watching over Harry and I've come to the conclusion that he was right. You were just trying to be a good sister and I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you for trying to protect me. I just- I-"

"I get it," Daphne said wrapping her arm around her sister letting Astoria's tired head rest on her shoulder, "You don't want to live your life in fear of the curse. You want to have fun and try to live as normally as possible. I shouldn't try to regulate who you can and can't be friends with, considering I'm the Ice Queen of Hogwarts it's not like I have a lot of good advice regarding friendships anyway."

"I actually talked to Potter about it before our fight," Daphne continued, "He told me that you were too stubborn to listen to reason and would do as you saw fit because you're very headstrong. He told me that you were a big girl who could take care of herself but if you needed him, he promised he wouldn't let anything happen to you." Daphne paused as Astoria's kaleidoscopic eyes peered into hers, "I couldn't trust him. I didn't really know who he was, I still don't know who he is really outside of the arrogant flirt he shows himself to me as, but after what I saw in the astronomy tower last week, I think I believe him despite everything logically pointing in another direction."

"That was you?" Astoria asked, "Why did you leave?"

"I came to help console you after that transfiguration class," Daphne started "But it seemed as if Harry had beaten me to the tower and was not only making you laugh but managed to get you to perform the spell. I figured you didn't need me around."

"I'll always need you," Astoria whispered, "You're my big sister. You can be a real stuck up bitch sometimes, but I couldn't imagine my life without you." Astoria then stopped a moment looking down at Harry before she started, "I think I like hanging out with him so much because it's like hanging out with someone who understands me, who understands what it's like to be different without ever having a choice, even if he doesn't know about my blood-curse. He's just, I don't know, I'm not really good with words, it's just-"

"Inspiring?" Daphne suggested.

Astoria nodded meekly before she smiled back up at her, "I mean, with you, we used to read stories and theorize about what magic could do. We played games of pretend politics and deviously plotted on how we would destroy the Malfoys. I even remember when I got hurt and I let you experiment with your knowledge of Muggle first aid kits."

A smile appeared on her face as Daphne remembered when Astoria had scrapped her arm and she put Neosporin and a band-aid on it interested in how quickly muggle medicine worked. Or when Daphne had once joked about how unfortunate it would be if the Malfoys just happened to get involved in a ponzi scheme that left them broke. But her reminiscing was ended when her sister continued, "It's kind of the same thing with Harry. Except, less politically and educationally informative and more like life advice. I mean, he's the Boy-Who-Lived, I don't even know half the things he's gone through in his life, but seeing the way he never gives up, it just means a lot to me. He's brave and fair, and he believes in me, Daphne. Every time I struggled with anything he never lets me give up."

"He stopped the Gryffindor's from bullying me because you were a snake," Astoria said tears now swelling in her eyes, "And I just want him to wake up, so I can tell him that I got an O on my Avifors spell that he helped me work on. I just want him to be okay, so things can go back to normal, he's like my big brother Daph, and I felt like I wanted to fall apart because I thought I lost both of you."

Daphne tightened her hug around her sister allowing the understanding of Astoria's surprisingly close relationship with Harry to flood her mind. Somehow, Potter understood Astoria even better than Daphne herself did at times, and she felt bad that her sister had somehow believed she had lost the two people she had looked up to the most, "I'm not going anywhere Tori," Daphne whispered, "You're my little sister until the end. I'll try to be less controlling of your life, but you can't ask me to stop worrying, it's in my blood to worry about you."

Daphne felt her ribs crush slightly as Astoria returned the tight hug tears staining her cheeks before she broke apart. It was silent for a moment as both Daphne and her sister watched solemnly over Potter. That was until Astoria turned to face her handing her a chocolate bar from the nearby desk. Daphne eyed her sister strangely before Astoria finally spoke, "I have to use the restroom. In case Harry wakes up Professor Lupin says to feed him the chocolate bar, he says it helps with post dementor attacks. I know it's unlikely but still, just in case."

Daphne nodded taking the chocolate bar into her hands and watched as Astoria left the infirmary towards one of the open restrooms leaving her alone with Potter. She looked down at the ground and nearly shrieked as she saw a rather large black dog resting on the ground next to Harry, and thought they had just repaired their relationship, Daphne had wanted to punch Astoria for not warning her that a creature that big was there. However, seeing that the dog was sound asleep, Daphne returned to staring at Potter.

The Harry she knew was tall, well-built, annoyingly handsome, but the one she saw before her was the antithesis of the boy that she had been in a broom closet with just weeks prior. Slowly, as if due to her practiced medical instinct, she placed the back of her hand atop Harry's forehead before changing the cloth, and she herself shivered at how cold the boy felt. However, Daphne had nearly jumped once more in shock, as for the first time in days, Harry spoke. It was gruff and mumbled and it sounded more like sleep-talking than anything else, but it was more than just tired, Harry sounded afraid as he whispered, "Tom, Tom, Tom."

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry was lost, lost could hardly even cut it anymore, he felt as if he was gone. The only thing that stopped him from believing he was dead was that he hadn't seen his mother or father yet, well, he had, but not in the way it had seemed. At first, Harry remembered falling. He remembered the screams of his mother, the coldness of his skin, the roaring pain in his head, and then suddenly, everything went numb.

Harry didn't feel like he was falling any longer, but he certainly wasn't on his feet either, currently, he was floating. He felt as if he was watching a movie, like he was an outside spectator to the reality he was seeing, but the movie that was being played was a horror as Harry trailed behind a snake-like man in Dark Black Robes. His eyes glowed a crimson red, his fingernails were long and uncut, and in his path, a place Harry had recognized well, Godric's Hollow.

Sirius and Remus had taken Harry to his childhood home once a year. It was the only time in which they returned, and even then, only briefly. Their respects had to be paid to his mother and father, and Harry enjoyed the momentary closeness. But this walk was different, it was colder now, and the ruins of the house were non-existent. Instead, a perfectly built cottage was barged into by the cloaked man.

He heard screaming, and he saw a man that looked much like Harry call out, "Lily! Get Harry and run! Pettigrew turned!"

Harry watched as a beautiful red-headed woman ran up the stairs before he watched his near-perfect doppelgänger avoid curse after curse, stumbling for a wand he did not have before hearing the torturous words, _"Avada Kedavra!" _And with a thud, the man that could only have been James Potter fell to the ground.

Harry cried out in agony as he witnessed his father's death. Imagining it had been one thing, but Harry felt as if he was living it. He watched as his father fought desperately to stop the cloaked man from climbing up the stairs where his mother had fled. And he watched as his father sacrificed himself in an attempt to buy his wife and infant son time. He watched as, without regard for the dead, the cloaked man stepped on his father's body like it was a welcome mat, and Harry wanted to strangle the man, but he couldn't move, all he could do was watch.

He closed his eyes not wanting to see what happened next, but the screams of his mother begging the cloaked man for mercy, for his life, only to be greeted by the same blinding green light. Worse than he could ever dream, he had watched the murder of his parent's first hand, and not only could he not understand how this was possible, but there was nothing he could do to stop it either. Harry was in hell as he watched the cloaked man lift his wand towards his infant-self and then, with a hissed, _"Avada Kedavra!" _Everything went white.

Once again, Harry was floating, but this time it wasn't somewhere he recognized and the cloaked reptilian man was no longer there. Instead, Harry found himself in a tiny room with two beds. From the window, Harry saw that the building was in the shape of a square, with high railings and fading architecture. Regardless, the boy looked clean, with neatly combed jet-black hair, pale skin, and dark eyes. Like Harry, he was tall for his age, and as Harry turned to the bunk that was the boy's, it was clear that it wouldn't be much longer until he no longer fit in his cot.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and standing at the doorway was another boy clutching a broken figurine, and a skinny and harassed-looking, with a sharp-featured face and thin grey hair. "Tom, Dennis here tells me you broke his toy. Is that true?"

"No Ms. Cole," Tom said sweetly, "I didn't mean to, I accidentally tripped and fell on top of it. I'm really sorry."

"It's okay Tom," Ms. Cole said before turning to the other boy, "See, it was an accident Dennis, nothing that can't be fixed."

"It wasn't an accident!" Dennis screamed, "He took my toy and broke it. He said it was because I didn't clean his room for him like he told me to! He did it on purpose!"

"Tom?" Ms. Cole asked calmly, "Is this true? Be honest, if I find out you lied to me, I won't be happy about it."

The look of sorrow that seemingly appeared on Tom's face by magic had made Harry jump slightly, "It was an accident really. I'm sorry Dennis. If he wants, he can use one of my toys, I really didn't mean to."

"See Dennis," The older woman said with a smile, "Tom said he was sorry, now come on, I'll see what I can do to fix this toy."

The boy named Dennis continued to glare angrily at Tom before Ms. Cole escorted the boy out of the room before closing the door. But as soon as the door shut closed, the scene changed again, and now Harry saw a most horrifying sight. The poor boy Dennis seemed paralyzed on his bed as Tom held a sharpened piece of broken glass to his throat. Harry had known instantly that there was something wrong about Tom, but he never would have expected this.

"I told you not to tell didn't I Dennis?" The boy spoke softly, no malice in his voice.

"T-Tom?" Dennis called out in fright, a puddle forming in his bed.

"Quiet while I'm talking," Tom hissed, "I told you not to tell, didn't I? You broke the rules, and now I'm going to make you pay."

"What are you going to do?" Dennis whispered, tears in his eyes.

Harry watched as Tom reached over to a picture frame that rested on the boy's bedside table. Dennis looked at the picture with horror, "Please no, Tom, that's my mom, I don't have any other-"

But before Dennis could even finish his plea, Tom jammed the shard of glass into the picture frame tearing it down the middle before ripping it to shreds. Dennis was now in tears, but the horror show wasn't over, wordlessly and without a wand, the torn of fragments of the picture frame erupted in Tom's hand, now at the center of a roaring fire. A demented smile rested on Tom's face as he spoke, "Orphans don't need pictures of their family. Only failures die. Next time you rat on me, I'll make sure your punishment is much worse."

Before Harry could even process what had just happened, Tom had dropped the shard of glass, allowing it to shatter all over the floor where the picture's frame now laid destroyed, before walking out the door, a twisted grin on his face as he lifted a finger to his mouth shushing the boy who silently cried beneath his breath, "Tom, Tom, Tom."

And then, with a gasp, Harry sat straight up, tears in his eyes as he shouted, "Tom!"

* * *

**A/N: Alright, so I know this may not have been as action-packed of a chapter as many of you might have been expecting, but that's because I wanted to lay out the next chapter as a complete action one, so consider it a nice history/setup chapter. Still, I hope you enjoyed what I did cover, this time it was Harry who used his link into Voldemort's mind, though not intentionally, and not with great control. We also got a bit of Michael and Susan who have blue and red hair respectively which I think is kind of funny. Finally, we got some sisterly love, and now we get to see how Harry will react to seeing Daphne holding a vigil over his bed. Lots of interesting things happening next chapter so stay tuned, and I'll try to post again shortly. Until next time, please be sure to Follow, Favorite and Review! Peace!**


	12. Chapter XII: The Awakening

**A/N: Alright guys, your outpouring of support was honestly incredible, and any feeling of sadness left by some negative comments was completely diminished upon reading your PM's and reviews, you guys are honestly the best readers I could ask for, and for all your support, I decided to put in the extra time and release a double upload today so I hope you sincerely enjoy these two chapters, thank you all so much for reading!**

* * *

Chapter XII: The Awakening

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Sweat was beating down his brow, and Harry clutched his wrist tightly in a desperate attempt to control his quickening pulse. He didn't have a mirror, but Harry was certain the look on his face must have depicted sheer horror from the seemingly continuous loop of seeing his family being murdered before entering the world of memories that certainly weren't his. His eyes felt heavy, and his body was tight as with a ragged breath he whispered into the nothingness, "Where am I?"

"You're okay Potter," A voice he recognized well called out, "You're in the infirmary. Took quite the fall from your broomstick. You've been out for two days."

Harry turned to the blonde witch at his bedside. For a moment, he felt he must be dreaming, if he had been expecting to see a Greengrass sister at his bed, it certainly wasn't the older one. But before Harry could even speak, Daphne lifted a bar of chocolate to his face as she spoke, "It helps with post-dementor attack symptoms. Eat."

Harry nodded gratefully, wanting to think of something cheeky to say, but not being able to come up with anything. Despite all the sweat on his body, Harry still felt as if he was freezing, a moments after he had taken the bar from Daphne, his trembling hands dropped it, "Shit," he muttered beneath his breath as he tried for the candy multiple times, his shaking hands fumbling it.

Quickly, Daphne took the bar from his bed before unwrapping it and breaking off a piece before turning back to Harry, "Here," She said with an outreached arm. Harry looked at her in confusion before Daphne rolled her eyes and sighed, "You're trembling too much to eat right now, so I'm going to feed you, open up Potter before I shove it down your throat."

Harry grinned slightly, letting out a small chuckle before he opened his mouth enough for Daphne to slide the first chunk of the bar in his mouth. As Harry began to chew, a feeling of warmth began to fill his body, and as he swallowed the piece, Daphne had broken off another chunk and fed it to him. Finally, as Harry trembling started to subside, he turned to the blue-eyed witch as he spoke, "What happened to me?"

"I'd like to know myself," Daphne said, "Story goes you were flying when dementors attacked you and you plummeted to the ground. Professor McGonagall stopped your fall and Professor Lupin sent the dementors away, but nobody could wake you up."

Harry looked at the blonde-haired witch in confusion before he spoke, "My broom, is it okay?"

"Your Firebolt?" Daphne asked in a mixture of confusion and outrage, "You were attacked by dementors, fell nearly a thousand feet, and your first concern is if your broomstick is alright?"

"It was a gift," Harry said with sincerity he had never heard from the boy. Normally, Harry was very proud and seemingly unaffected by most things, but clearly, Harry was still in a haze as he continued, "From people who are important to me. I just want to know if it's okay."

"It's fine," Daphne said calmly, "I saw Astoria with it, I'm pretty sure she's keeping it safe in Gryffindor Tower."

It was quiet for a moment, and Harry had momentarily lost himself staring at Daphne. He wasn't sure why she was here, he didn't exactly expect that she and he had that kind of relationship, but not wanting it to be over, Harry muttered the first thing he could think of, and feeling the dryness in his throat he spoke hoarsely, "I'm thirsty,".

He smiled thankfully as he watched Daphne located the water pitcher and filled a cup for him, handing it to Harry as he downed it quickly, clearly more parched than he had originally believed. "Thank you."

"How long was I out?" Harry said as he looked around the room, "Judging by the number of gifts it looks like I've been gone for years. Mostly flowers though," Harry said trying to force a smile, "So points of originality on the chocolate princess."

Daphne smirked at his feeble attempt at flirtatious banter, "Sorry to destroy your fantasy Potter, the candy is from Professor Lupin. He had instructed anyone who was watching you to give it to you once you woke up."

"As for your second question," Daphne continued, "Nearly three days now. I'm sure everyone will be relieved to see you up and about again. Your fangirls, in particular, were going crazy."

"Ugh," Harry said collapsing back in bed, "Kill me."

Then he heard the most beautiful sound he had ever experienced, Daphne's laugh. It sounded like music to him, a beautiful, soft and simple symphony that Harry couldn't help but smile upon hearing. The girl seemingly never laughed, always being so serious all the time, but Harry was convinced he wanted to hear it more often. Slowly though, curiosity overtook him and in a tired motion, Harry turned to face the blonde, "What's so funny?"

"You," She responded curtly, "Isn't every guy's dream to have a hoard of women ready to pounce them and do whatever they say? How come you get so upset about it?"

Harry simply shrugged, "Besides the fact that people regardless of their gender that can't think for themselves are irritating?" Daphne nodded signaling for him to continue, "I guess it's mostly annoying because the boy they are all infatuated with doesn't exist. The Boy-Who-Lived, The-Boy-Who-Lived, that's what they are all obsessed over, like my family dying is something to be celebrated. They are all fawning over a person that doesn't exist. They think I'm some sort of storybook character instead of me. I'm not really the Boy-Who-Lived, Vanquisher of the Dark Lord, etcetera, etcetera. I'm just some normal guy who likes causing mischief with a lightning bolt on my forehead, I'm just Harry, but none of my 'fangirls' as you put it seem to care much for just Harry."

"Don't get me wrong, it's fun never having to worry about getting a date to things, but I'm sort of into you so it's not even a top priority," Harry said lightheartedly trying to get Daphne's mind off the honest moment he had not been intending to share with the Blonde Slytherin.

He watched as Daphne's face softened for a moment, "Alright, what's just Harry's favorite color?"

"Why?" Harry asked slightly confused.

"You said you were irritated that people don't show interest in who you actually are," Daphne responded casually, "You and my sister are very close, I figure I should at least make an attempt to learn a bit about the person she's insistent on hanging around."

"Then why ask for my favorite color?" Harry asked still a bit lost.

"Because it's something that there is no reason to lie about," Daphne spoke honestly.

Harry thought for a moment before agreeing with Daphne. There was no secret agenda that could be made regarding that type of information, except maybe a flurry of girls wearing purple accessories but who cared? Harry cleared his throat as he spoke, "It's purple, like a dark purple, not lilac."

"Fascinating," Daphne said with a coy smile.

"And why is that Princess?" Harry asked equally as coy.

"Because according to Witch Weekly Magazine the Boy-Who-Lives' favorite color is blue," Daphne said with a smirk, "There go all the Ravenclaws who thought they had a better chance at getting with you."

Harry actually chuckled at Daphne's hidden but surprisingly funny sarcasm and attitude, before he asked, "What about you? What's your favorite color?"

"Why do you ask?" Daphne said the same passive expression on your face, "Don't tell me you're interested in getting to know the 'real me'." She said throwing up quotations around the word.

"And if I said I was?" Harry asked calmly.

"I'd tell you to quit while your ahead," Daphne said with a chuckle, "My life's not all that charming and just because there may be more to you than I originally thought doesn't change my opinion that you're a major headache."

Harry smirked as with a light chuckle he spoke, "Cold Princess, where's my injury pity."

"I fed you chocolate, didn't I?" Daphne said with a smirk of her own.

"Fair enough Princess," Harry said with a smile, "There's still plenty of time for you to fall hopelessly in love with me."

Daphne laughed slightly as she shook her head, "Not a chance, Potter."

However, before Harry even had a chance to respond, the doors of the infirmary opened and without even being able to properly I.D. the person, a blur of glossy black hair barreled towards him, leaping from the ground like an Olympic long jumper and slammed into Harry with a tight hug. Harry was thankful he had the ab strength to prevent him from falling over as he heard light sobbing in his ear. "You're awake," The girl Harry realized now was Astoria whispered, "You're finally awake. I was so worried that you weren't ever going to wake up. Hogwarts isn't any fun without you."

Harry rubbed the girl's back as he smiled, "Don't worry Astoria, I'm fine. It's going to take a lot more than Casper the friendly ghost to take me out."

He could feel a smile pressed against his cheek from Astoria as she spoke, "I got an O on my demonstration of _Avifors_ spell, Professor McGonagall was very impressed. I also managed not to burn my cauldron in potions last week."

Harry smiled as he placed his hand softly on the top of her head, "That's awesome short-stack, I'm so proud of you."

"Mr. Potter," Another voice called out from the dark infirmary, one Harry didn't recognize, "It's good to see you are finally up. Professors Lupin and McGonagall were getting quite concerned."

Harry turned to face the voice. There was a lady with a calm and caring face. She was an older woman, but her face remained unwrinkled and young, only her curly grey hairs kept beneath a pristine white bonnet gave away her age. Her kind blue eyes examined Harry as her lightly tanned hands pulled on her red and white robes adjusting them as she approached. "You certainly gave us all quite a fright Mr. Potter."

"Who are you?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Madam Pomfrey, the matron of this hospital wing," She said with pride, "It is my job to take care of students that injure themselves at Hogwarts. Though I do appreciate the company, I would like it if you wouldn't place yourself in my care by a repeat performance Mr. Potter."

"Trust me," Harry groaned, "It wasn't fun for me either. Not exactly looking to repeat the experience."

Madam Pomfrey grinned slightly before turning to the girls, "I'm sorry girls, but visiting hours are over, it's time you two be off to your common rooms. You can visit him tomorrow if he hasn't been discharged."

Harry watched as Astoria's hug around him tightened, but Daphne simply took her sister's hand and guided her off the bed, "Harry's going to be okay, Madam Pomfrey is the best medi-witch Hogwarts has ever seen."

"Fine," Harry watched as Astoria pouted, "But if you're not a breakfast I'm coming back first thing tomorrow."

Harry smiled and nodded, "I'll do my best to be there."

That seemed to be enough for Astoria as she began to walk towards the exit. Harry watched as Daphne gracefully moved across the room following her sister. Harry was in utter disbelief at how even her walk seemed to entrance him. Daphne had just made it to the front door of the infirmary before she turned around to face him one last time, "It's green. Emerald Green. That's my favorite color."

With that, Daphne left, and Harry stared at the door, a dumb grin on his face until he heard Madam Pomfrey speak with a humorous tone, "I'm assuming I should return all of these flowers and love letters back to sender."

Harry just fell back into the infirmary bed as he chuckled before he closed his eyes and after two days of nightmares, a tonic of dreamless sleep allowed him to rest with is last thought being of the blonde-haired witch with icy blue eyes.

* * *

**(Sirius P.O.V)**

Sirius had been relieved when Harry had awoken. He had wanted to transform back and hug his godson, but the opportunity alone never came. Instead, Sirius had watched with a grin on his face as Harry and the Blonde witch who Harry clearly fancied had a conversation that reminded him much of Lily and James. However, with Harry now resting instead of being in a coma, Sirius had exited the infirmary under the cover of darkness and ventured through the secret passageway until he had reunited with Lupin, the two of them now sitting in the Headmaster's office. "Tom," Dumbledore had said, a cautionary look momentarily taking his face, "You're certain he was muttering the name, Tom."

"Yes," Sirius said, "Even clearer with my dog ears. I don't know why, but Harry was muttering the name Tom, and it certainly wasn't in a very pleasant tone. Who is Tom?"

Dumbledore rubbed his fingers to his temples before he lifted his wand, and in golden letters, the words Tom Marvolo Riddle had appeared in the air, "What I am about to share with you is to be spread to no one, this information while it may seem trivial is very sensitive."

Sirius and Remus both nodded, Dumbledore was certainly well-known for keeping secrets, but Sirius was more concerned for his Godson's health than anything else. A sinking pit began to form in his stomach however, as Dumbledore began to shuffle the words around creating a phrase that made Sirius snarl in anger, "I am Lord Voldemort."

"Him," Sirius whispered angrily, "How could Harry know his real name, I didn't even know he had a name."

"It does make sense though," Remus said pensively, "What kind of mother would name their child Voldemort? Still, I have to agree with Sirius, how would Harry possibly know that name?"

"He wouldn't," Dumbledore muttered, "Which means that Voldemort is getting stronger than I thought. I believe that Harry has stumbled across and mental link with Voldemort which means that the Dark Lord is no longer an apparition, he's created a host body."

"Are you saying that Voldemort can read Harry's mind?" Sirius said in horror, "He'd know everything then. How are we supposed to train Harry to fight him if he'd know everything we're doing?"

"Padfoot," Remus said softly placing a hand on his shoulder, "Getting panicked is going to help solve the situation." Remus then turned to Dumbledore, "What about occlumency? Would it be possible to stop Harry's mind from being invaded then?"

"Possibly," Dumbledore said stroking his beard, "But even then, I don't believe it was Voldemort reading Harry's mind, I believe it was the other way around."

"Why would the Dark Lord allow Harry into his mind?" Sirius asked trying to keep his cool.

"To garner sympathy possibly," Dumbledore said, "Although I'd hazard to guess that he himself was unable to stop Harry's probe or unaware of it happening. After all, there is little known about mental links or why they are created."

"You see, Tom Riddle is not apart of Voldemort's life he would want to remember," Dumbledore said, "He became Voldemort after casting aside what he believed was his weakness and his history would never be something he would willingly share. Harry has provided us a great chance into looking through the Dark Lord's mind without him even being aware of it happening."

"So, you want Harry," Sirius said, "A boy of 13 to master the arts of legilimency and occlumency so he can go on a wild goose chase through the mind of a psychopath like Voldemort. That's your plan?"

"Sirius," Dumbledore said, "You must understand the opportunity it gives us. Voldemort is returning to power, which means as I suspected, the diary was not the only Horcrux. However, neither I nor anyone else knows exactly how many Horcruxes there are, or where they are hidden. Nobody but Voldemort and Harry has direct entry into his mind."

"During his prime," Dumbledore continued, "I would dare say that the Dark Lord's ability in Occlumency and Legilimency were near impossible for even a wizard like myself to crack. But now he's weakened and a boy with no practice in the discipline has been able to penetrate his mind. It is an opportunity like no other."

Sirius grit his teeth. The worst part of working alongside Dumbledore was that for as selfish and secretive as he was, the man made some compelling points. In fact, had it been anyone but Harry with the ability to do this, he would have been encouraging the plan, but now, he was feeling cold. Harry was his godson, he was as good as blood to him, and the idea of Dumbledore wanting to use him as a Horcrux magnet made him feel angry. There were risks in association with Legilimency and Occlumency, the most dangerous of them being irreparable madness, and yet, Sirius was lacking other options.

"I want him learning occlumency first," Sirius said.

"Sirius, please, see reason. We must cap-" Dumbledore started.

"He learns occlumency first," Sirius growled, "I know the opportunity this gives us. I know it may be a way of stopping the Dark Lord for good. But Harry is my son, my son! And if you think that I'm going to allow him to walk into the hellish void that must be Voldemort's mind, without the proper training than you've got another thing coming."

Dumbledore turned to Remus hoping for the werewolf's support, but Remus stood by Sirius, agreeing with the decision before Dumbledore sighed, "It could take years for Harry to master both arts. Perhaps I could focus on teaching him legilimency while Severus-"

"Absolutely not!" Remus and Sirius spoke together.

"Please," Dumbledore said, "Severus isn't the man he used to-"

"I don't give a damn what kind of man he is," Sirius said forcefully, "I don't care if you trust him, I don't care if he was pardoned by the minister of his crimes, I don't care about any of that, no man who carries the Dark Mark on his arm is ever going to be allowed anywhere alone with Harry. Am I clear, Headmaster?"

"Please, Sirius, you must see the big picture, Harry must learn what Voldemort knows, for the greater-"

"Fuck the greater good," Sirius said angrily, "Harry is my greater good. He's all I have left of my brother, my best friend. I allowed him to come here because you are the greatest wizard who ever lived, and if the prophecy is true Voldemort is going to come for him and I want him to be fully prepared. But if you are just going to use him and throw him aside like a tool, then I'll pull him out of here, and if the Dark Lord comes, I don't care what it costs, I swear to you I'll take him to hell with me before I let him lay a finger on Harry."

Sirius' grey eyes glared into Dumbledore's before with a sigh, the elderly wizard spoke, "You are dooming the wizarding world by not being able to see the forest for the trees."

"I won't sacrifice Harry," Sirius said firmly, "No matter what you say."

"Very well Sirius," Dumbledore sighed, "Though there is very little you could do to stop me, I will honor your wishes as a show of good faith. Though perhaps you or Remus could begin inducting Harry in the practices of legilimency yourselves to help accelerate the process."

"I'm sorry Headmaster," Remus said softly, "But will all due respect, I have another task I would like to teach to Harry first, the Patronus charm."

"Remus," Dumbledore spoke, "I understand the emotional turmoil that you've gone through from Harry's encounter with the Dementor, but Cornelius gave his word that it wouldn't happen again, and surely learning to defend oneself from dementors cannot be as important as uncovering the secrets of Voldemort."

"You're right, of course," Remus said through gritted teeth, "But as Sirius has made clear, our priority is Harry's safety, and you and I both know not to trust Fudge as far as we can throw him."

"Do as you please," Dumbledore said, a hint of frustration in his voice, "But understand the risks you are putting the wizarding world in for your own desires. The fate of the greater good should outweigh any personal sacrifice."

"We've sacrificed enough," Sirius said solemnly, "Harry won't be one."

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Astoria hadn't been lying about where she'd be had Harry not been discharged before breakfast. He had just finished the process of packing up everything he needed before whispering for Kreacher, who while refused to show it did have a look of relief on his face, moved most of the junk to the garbage and the other important letters to the Hogsmeade House. Madam Pomfrey had made him down a few more awful tasting vials before assisting him to the door.

Despite his persistence that Madam Pomfrey didn't need to help him walk, he certainly appreciated the help when Astoria who still looked a little disheveled tackled him right at the entrance of the infirmary. Harry had managed to stay on his feet, but it certainly felt odd to feel ground below him as he had spent the last two days feeling completely weightless.

Astoria clutched him tightly in her hug as Harry smiled down at the girl who whispered, "Never again."

"I'm sorry," Harry said honestly, "I'll try to be more careful, okay?"

Astoria nodded, and when she pulled away, he noticed that Astoria wasn't the only visitor he had. Leaning up against the corridor wall was Michael, a look of forced apathy on his face that was betrayed by the tired bags under his eyes. Harry gave him a head nod before he spoke, "Corner, you alright, you look like you're about to cry."

"Shut up Potter," Michael said a smirk on his face as the two embraced into a brotherly hug, "I'm just glad you're alright. Would've been a real pain trying to replace you with a new partner in crime."

Astoria groaned beneath her breath, "Boys. Can't you just tell him you missed him?"

"Nope," Corner said before both he and Harry chuckled as together, the three of them walked towards the Great Hall, a burning desire to eat some solid food filling Harry inside.

The smells of the Great Hall had filled him with joy, both he and Astoria were basically eating champions, though they held themselves with higher manners than Ron who wasn't a slouch in feasting himself, but the scent of fresh breakfast wasn't the only thing that welcomed him back to the 'land of the living'.

Before Harry could even get his bearings, Two arms slung around his neck and Harry had to fight off a laugh as the twins ruffled his hair, "Welcome back Harry," George said.

"Been far too quiet without you around," Fred spoke warmly.

"Missed you guys too," Harry said with a smirk, "Or I would've if I was conscious."

Both Fred and George smiled before the rest of the quidditch team appeared, the first was Wood, "Potter, hope you haven't gotten cold feet about joining the team."

Katie, Angelina, and Alicia all glared at the quidditch captain but Harry simply laughed, "No way. I earned my spot on the team, I intend to keep it."

Harry normally wasn't the biggest hug guys, but as the newly formed Gryffindor House team formed around him, Harry didn't really seem to mind. However, his joy, unfortunately, couldn't go uninterrupted as his joyous reunion with Gryffindor House was ruined by an irritating voice behind him, "Hello, Potter."

"Malfoy," Harry spoke not even bothering to turn around.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on your tremendous quidditch performance," Malfoy spoke, "It really had everyone's jaws falling to the ground."

"Ah, a pun," Harry said with boredom, "Didn't think you were smart enough for those."

"Don't be such a downer Potter," Draco said, "It's only appropriate that we Seekers be civil with each other, how else will we keep sportsman-like conduct." It was only through the surrounding laughter did Harry realize that Malfoy hadn't approached the team alone but surrounded by the Slytherin Quidditch team and his cronies Crabbe and Goyle.

Finally, Harry turned, sending Malfoy a look that spoke, _Piss off or you'll regret it,_ but Malfoy clearly didn't get the message as the Blonde Git, feeling emboldened by his team grinned, "Oh don't look at me that way Potter," Draco said with a grin, "It's so scary I might- I might just- faint."

Harry rolled his eyes as the Slytherin team busted out into laughter as Draco gave what Harry could only assume was his best impression of him as he fell towards the ground, his goons Crabbe and Goyle stopping him from hitting the floor before helping him to his feet where Draco gave a sarcastic bow. However, Harry certainly knew how to give it, and after being knocked out for a few days, his sarcastic muscle was more than ready to put on a show.

Slowly, he began to clap for Malfoy as the boy looked at him with irritation, "Wow Draco, Bravo!" Harry said with a shit-eating grin, "Who would have known you were such a thespian? Perhaps you should drop out of Hogwarts and join the muggle theater, you're certainly a much better actor than wizard."

"How dare you!" Draco said pulling out his wand, "Don't you ever insinuate that I belong in the muggle world Potter. I'm ten times the wizard you'll ever be!"

"Insinuate," Harry said in shock, "Very big word, I'm impressed Malfoy. Even more impressive considering you're an idiot who hasn't seemed to learn anything from the last time you pulled your wand on me."

Before Harry had time to fully notice, each member of both teams with Astoria and Michael included had their hands hovering over their wand, waiting for a fight to breakout before McGonagall spoke, "Put those wands away now, or it will be detention for everyone."

Harry looked down at Malfoy, "Your move Malfoy, what's the play?"

The stand of lasted a few more seconds, but eventually, Malfoy blinked and a faint smile appeared on Harry's face as Malfoy spoke, "Let's go, Potter's not worth it."

"Smart choice," Harry said smugly.

"This isn't over Potter," Malfoy hissed, "I promise you that."

"Bring it Malfoy," Harry said as with an easy grin, he watched as Malfoy and his crew slithered away

* * *

**A/N: So, how's that for the first part of the double-feature chapter. Before I get comments on Dumbledore acting out of character, one, this is my fanfic with very different character profiles for everyone so slight OOC moments is a frequent casualty of fanfics in general, and secondly, just because Dumbledore said he was going to do something doesn't mean he'll actually do it. Dumbledore realized he hit a brick wall with Sirius and Remus and rest assured, he'll try to figure out another way to serve the greater good as always. If that explanation isn't enough, then nothing else I can really say. **

**Onto a more positive note, we got another Sirius P.O.V chapter which is good and I always like writing the relationship between Harry and Sirius. I hope you liked the Freudian Slip of Sirius calling Harry his son, that was indeed intentional.**

**Finally, I know you've all been waiting for a genuine ****Haphne moment, and I hope you enjoyed the actual showing of affection on both sides, I know I enjoyed writing it, plus Michael and Harry's bromance was also pretty endearing. Well, with that all said and done, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, please be sure to Follow, Favorite and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	13. Chapter XIII: The Patronus Charm

**A/N: Welcome to the second half. Not much to say here that I didn't say in the last chapter but thank you so much for your support, and please be sure to leave a Follow, Favorite and Review! Now, Enjoy! OH YEAH, also, if you have a community or something you want to add my story to, go ahead, you don't need to ask my permission or something, just so y'all know.**

* * *

Chapter XIII: The Patronus Charm

**(Daphne P.O.V)**

"So, let me get this straight," Tracey said as Daphne and Blaise walked beside her, "The night you decide to visit Harry, he magically wakes up. You kissed him, didn't you?"

"For the love of god Tracey," Daphne said rolling her eyes, "Sleeping Beauty isn't a scientific study, it's a muggle story, and I can assure you that I most certainly didn't kiss Potter last night."

"Well something changed that's for sure," Blaise said as he walked casually by his girlfriend's side, hands resting behind his head, "Because I didn't see you sending him your patented 'I'm going to kill you' glare."

"Look," Daphne said with a sigh, "I just found out that Harry might not be as one dimensional as I first thought. He's still an arrogant pain in the ass, and for your information, I do not have an 'I'm going to kill you' glare."

"So, he's Harry now," Tracey said with a snicker, causing Daphne to shoot daggers into her best friend with her eyes before Tracey smiled, "And there's the glare. Checkmate Greengrass."

"I hate you," Daphne snarled, "So, so, much."

"Yeah, yeah," Tracey said waving her off, "This is your stop," She said as they arrived at the Ancient Runes Room, "Have fun, Blaise and I are off to divination."

"I still don't understand why you would ever take that hack's class," Daphne said shaking her head.

"Easy O," Was all Blaise responded as he took his girlfriend's hand into his own and headed off towards the towers leaving Daphne alone a slight smile on her face which she wiped clean before heading into the classroom.

When she had entered, she was surprised that Harry was already in the seat next to hers. She didn't know if it was intentional or if he just didn't remember, but Daphne suspected he knew exactly what he was doing. Although he wasn't looking as jovial as he normally did, the Runes textbook spread open below him as he rubbed his temples yawning loudly.

"Didn't get enough beauty sleep, Potter?" Daphne said as she took her normal seat.

"Not even close, though I did my best to look presentable for you princess," Harry said a tired yawn once again leaving his mouth, "Ron drove me crazy all morning, and I haven't really had much time to study for runes. I was already a bit behind before I went out, and then Snape decided it would be fun to drown me in homework for his class." Harry then threw his head back and blew out an exhausted sigh, "What a pain."

"That's what I say every time I see you," Daphne said cheekily causing Harry to chuckle.

"Very funny, Princess."

"So, I know why Professor Snape hates you, that stunt of yours and Corner was pretty heavily discussed in the Slytherin Common Room, but why does Ron have his knickers in a twist."

Harry grinned, "Trust me, the prank is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Snape. As for Ron, git claims Loki ate his rat, but I gave him strict orders not to do so."

"Loki's your Kneazle, right?" Daphne asked and Harry quickly nodded in response, "Well, if you've tamed it, it should never disobey your orders unless you've ordered it to do something that could put its own life at risk."

"I know," Harry groaned, "But Ron was throwing a pissy-fit over the rat he didn't even like so I offered him 15 galleons to buy any pet he wanted over the next break. He took the money and he's still complaining. Honestly, that guy's going to really start to piss me off."

"I'd say he's already started," Daphne said with a shrug before reaching into her bookbag and pulling out her notebook, opening it before handing it to Harry, "Look, I'll let you copy my notes since Astoria told me you've helped her out a lot in the Gryffindor Common Room, I'll just transfer them over and then we'll be even."

"You don't owe me anything, Astoria's my friend, of course I'd look out for her," Harry said a quizzical look on his face.

"Just let me copy over the damn notes before the Professor comes in and gets us in trouble," Daphne said rolling her eyes as she tapped her wand to her notebook and muttered, _"Exscribo." _Before her wand glowed a dim white and she hovered her wand above Harry's notebook, _"Rescribo."_

Daphne watched Harry's look of awe as the words that were once on her notebook were seamlessly transferred over to Harry's notebook in perfect condition. Harry's look of awe turned into an impressed grin as he spoke, "Neat spell, where'd you learn it."

"I made it myself," Daphne said with a shrug.

"Beautiful and talented," Harry said with a chuckle, "It's almost unfair."

"Don't make me regret my moment of kindness Potter," Daphne said, though the coldness in her tone had not been as strong as it once was. Honestly, Daphne was just relieved Harry hadn't asked why she had created the spell, as in truth, it was a way of copying down important information from medical textbooks and keeping them locked away in her notebook without having to buy them and bring them home. While it wasn't so much the action that she would hate explaining, she wasn't quite sure how she would answer the question of why she was copying the information in the first place, Astoria. Thankfully, the occasion never arose as soon, Professor Babbling had entered and the lesson on creating basic wards had begun, but then the conversation shifted towards one that Daphne had found very interesting, magical exchange.

"Magic Exchange Runes," Professor Babbling Started, "Is a very rare sort of rune, despite their ease of creation." Daphne watched in wonder as Professor Babbling wrote two sets of 5 runes, the first being the runes for: Bond, Magic, Trust, Strength, Power. And the second set consisted of: Unity, Care, Understanding, Magic, and Love.

"The reason this magic is rare is due to factors of compatibility," Babbling continued, "This bond between two witches or wizards in which the rune wearers can pull from each-others magical cores when in physical contact is a strange and certainly unexplained phenomenon."

"The top researchers in the field believe that in order for this magic to work, the two individuals must have what is known as true compatibility," Babbling said, "That being said, this does not necessarily mean that love is all that is required. Married couples have attempted this bond with no success, most researchers believe it requires a harmonization of both individuals souls, minds, hearts, and magic. Lacking any of these categories seemingly eliminates one from the possibility of sharing a core when necessary."

"However, there are examples, in your textbook, if you turn to page two hundred and fifty-five," Babbling lectured, "You'll see the case of Anderson and Augustus Brand. Twin brothers who were able to perform the link. Unfortunately for everyone, the two boys had decided on a life of crime, and in the late 1970s, the twin brothers had together taken down a group of ten Auror's. It was only due to a lucky shot by Alastor Moody that one of the boy's had lost their hand on which the runes were drawn and with the connection severed, the twins were easily overtaken."

"While most would initially believe that the combination of two cores would simply double one's power," Babbling said winding down her lecture, "The less than practical study of the brothers show that if the bond is successful, the power of each individual increases massively, some have even dared to say ten-fold. It would certainly be something I hope to study myself someday."

While Babbling had eventually moved on Daphne had been so encapsulated by the bonding runes. She had intended to ask a question on if there were any healing factors associated with the runes, hopefully believing that if Daphne could somehow transfer her sister's blood curse over to herself then it would certainly be something worth trying just as the last resort. However, in standard Babbling fashion, the professor jumped from one topic to another leaving Daphne scrambling for notes as Potter grinned at her, "Maybe we should try the runes. If it worked then it would mean were compatible, right?"

"No need for runes," Daphne said off-handedly, "I already know it would be pointless."

"Ouch Princess," Harry said returning to his notes, "Cold."

"Ice Queen remember," Daphne said keeping up with Babbling's lecture.

"All part of the appeal," Harry said before he too rushed to keep up with Babbling's instruction.

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry had a very strange morning, to say the least, not only had Dumbledore come up to him to tell him his private lessons that for the past month were slated on his timetable but never used were finally going to start, and he also told him that Snape would be covering for Remus' Defense Against the Dark Arts Class today, and that Harry was to meet Remus at the Astronomy Tower where classes wouldn't be beginning for another couple of hours.

Afterward, he had discussed his fight with Ron about Scabbers who Loki, to Harry's disbelief, had eaten, he didn't believe it so, but Harry had gifted Ron the galleons to buy himself an actual pet, and Fred, George, and even Percy had privately whisked away their brother from causing a stink about a rat, who Ron himself had repeatedly criticized for being "Boring" with Daphne. He hadn't expected the kindness he had received from the Princess but was pleasantly surprised that she was willing to help him out with his Runes work he had missed, though she had insisted it was simply paying him back for helping Astoria. Honestly, the girl simply drove him wild.

The bonding rune had seemingly captivated Harry immensely, and Daphne too seemed to be intrigued, though he doubted it was for the same reason. What Harry saw from the bond was a level of strength that he could barely fathom. A possibility for one to increase their power so dramatically sounded like just the thing he needed to overpower Voldemort if the time came. He was wondering that once he and Remus had put together a way to gather enough evidence to clear Sirius' name without the bureaucracy of people like Lucius Malfoy and Umbridge getting in the way if his godfather and he would be a compatible match for the runes.

Though Harry knew better than to trust his luck, the idea of a bond was a longshot, and Harry needed to continue practicing his mastery of magic in case his idea was crushed. If Harry were to be honest with himself, he'd say he was a decent student. He had firm grasps in the studies of Charms, and Transfiguration, though he did have a less than favorable understanding of Potions and Herbology, granted the ladder was much easier for him to understand than the black-bat's class. In fact, Harry was far from the prodigy that many believed him to be, his only gift lay in one field, combat magic, both the Uses and Defense Against the Dark Arts.

To Harry, combat was like a dance, he had been going toe to toe with people stronger than him all his life, but his gift for battle strategy and tactics had allowed him to barely keep up. Yes, he had lost to Sirius and Tonks, and to his recollection, he had only ever beaten Sirius once when he was ill and Tonks when she had clumsily tripped. Still, he put up a hell of a fight for an eleven-year-old kid at the time and his power had only grown. Harry only hoped that Voldemort's return would take a couple more years as currently, Harry wasn't feeling ready to face the man that had killed his parents, then again, would he ever be?

However, Harry pushed these thoughts to the side as he ascended the steps of the Astronomy Tower where he found his uncle fidgeting with a locked trunk about the size of the one he had at the end of his bed in the Gryffindor Dormitory. Remus due to his increased hearing and sense of smell instantly turned as Harry entered the tower and turned to face him, a look of joyous relief on his face upon seeing Harry was better. He had heard that Sirius had stayed by his bedside in his Animagus form for two days straight, and honestly, Harry felt terribly guilty at the strain he must have put his family through.

Still, Remus never coddled Harry, and while it was clear that he was overjoyed Harry had awoken he spoke softly and in a professional manner, "It's good to see you're doing well Harry."

"I'm still sort of sore," Harry said with a chuckle trying to lighten the mood before he asked, "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," Remus said, "Honestly, both Padfoot and I felt awful over what happened to you, and as it was I who came up with your lesson plans, I felt even worse that I overlooked the possibility of facing dementors. They weren't around in America, but it was a gross miscalculation on my part and I intend to remedy the situation today."

"It wasn't your fault Moony," Harry said comfortingly, "You couldn't have known it would happen. But if I can be honest with you, when I was out, I started having dreams, really bad dreams. I saw my mom and dad the night they-," But Harry couldn't finish the sentence as Remus walked towards him placing a comforting hand on his shoulder giving him the strength to continue, "But that wasn't it, then I started to see memories that weren't mine, it was about this boy named-"

"Tom," Remus finished for him.

"You know?" Harry said in confusion.

"You muttered that name while you were asleep," Remus said, "Padfoot and I reported it to Dumbledore, he believes you somehow linked your mind to the Dark Lord, as his name was at one-point Tom Marvolo Riddle."

"Voldemort's real name is Tom," Harry asked, if it wasn't happening in his mind, he might have even laughed at the notion.

"Yes, but that isn't the point," Remus said, "The fact that you somehow managed to enter the Dark Lord's mind means that he could have the chance to enter yours which is why Padfoot and I agreed with Dumbledore to begin teaching you Occlumency to shield your mind from any possible mental attacks."

"As much as Sirius and I don't want it to be," Remus continued, "You know that you are at the focal point of this battle with the Dark Lord. Information you know, like the prophecy, for instance, cannot be allowed to fall into He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's hands. Which is why I implore you to take these lessons from Dumbledore seriously, he may be shady, but he is one of the best Occlumens to ever live and it's important you learn to shield your mind."

"I'll try," Harry said understanding the gravity of the situation, and a mixture of fear and excitement swelled under his skin. On one hand, he'd be learning mental magic which was very cool, but on the other hand, he was only learning it because there was a chance that somehow Voldemort could enter his mind and learn everything he knew. It was about more than the prophecy, he wouldn't let his incompetence be the reason anyone else got hurt, he wouldn't allow it, he couldn't.

Swallowing down all this concern however, Harry spoke once again, "Is that what you called me in for?"

"No, as I said," Remus began, "After the events of the last few days, it is my job not only as your family but as your professor to teach you how to defend yourself against the vile creatures circling around the castle grounds, as for some reason, they seem to be very attracted to you, most likely due to your early childhood trauma if I were to hazard a guess."

Honestly, Harry didn't need Remus to go into more details. His parent's death had been a recurring nightmare for him, but at first, all he had heard was the faint voice and a flash of green-light, now he had seen it first hand, and the thought of studying mental shields and defending against the visions the hooded creatures had forced him to see motivated Harry like no other, "The dementors," He growled, "There's a way to stop them?"

"Stop them, unfortunately not," Remus said, "Dementors are seemingly immortal creatures with no way of permanently ridding them from the world. However, there is a charm that causes them to flee. Normally, it isn't taught until your seventh year or in the Auror department separately depending on the professor, but as Padfoot and I trained you ourselves, I have faith that you will be able to learn this spell at your current level."

"What is the spell called?" Harry asked, intrigue lacing his voice.

"The Patronus Charm," Remus said softly, "Repeat after me, the incantation is _Expecto Patronum."_

"_Expecto Patronum," _Harry repeated showing Remus his correct pronunciation of the spell before turning back to the trunk, "So um, do you have a dementor stored away in that thing or what?"

"No," Remus said, "In this trunk is actually going to be the subject of next weeks lesson, it's a boggart."

"A boggart?" Harry asked trying to recall the name from his previous studies.

"Don't strain yourself," Remus said, "We didn't teach it to you as for the most part, they are quite rare and Padfoot and I weren't too concerned about you running into one in all honesty. However, A Boggart is one of the worst magical creatures around, they have the ability to transform into the form of what their target fears the most. In my case, it is a full moon, and in your case, I imagine it may be a dementor."

"What if it's not?" Harry asked.

Remus gave him a small smile as he spoke, "We'll cross that bridge when it comes. For now, I want you to ready your wand. The Patronus Charm is a spell focused on creating a shield of tangible happiness for the dementors to feed on granting the user enough time to escape. Incredibly strong or practiced wizards can even create what is known as a Corporal Patronus, giving the shield the form of an animal."

Harry watched as Remus uttered the incantation and from his wand sprung a glimmering white wolf that ran around the classroom as if it was truly a beast on the prowl. Before with another flick of Remus' wand, the wolf disappeared leaving nothing but a small flash of light in its wake. Harry looked at his uncle in awe as he muttered, "Wicked. How do I do it?"

"First you must understand that this is an incredibly difficult spell," Remus started, "Even more so I fear for you than the standard person. The strain on one's magic is intense, and the focus it requires even under the fearful circumstances this spell would be used in is tremendous. Finally, the true reason the Patronus Charm is so difficult is the requirement of a truly happy a pure memory. Something that fills you with joy to the point it can literally be excreted from you."

"What do you think about?" Harry asked getting nervous, wondering if there was anything at all that made him feel the way Remus had described.

"I think about your father, and Padfoot," Remus started, "The way they had accepted me and tried to become animagi so that I wouldn't be alone on full moons. I remember us laughing as we studied and they attempted to complete their transformations. I remember our late-night prowls around the forbidden forest, I remember their friendship, that's what fills me with joy."

Harry began racking his brain thinking of the happy memories in his life. He was happy that while his life may have started off rough, he had plenty of great memories with Sirius and Tonks, he had memories laughing over Andromeda's fussiness, and he remembered the pride he would feel when Remus had seen his new spell work and congratulated him on a job well done. Finding a happy moment wasn't really Harry's concern, it was finding one that truly filled him with joy to the level that Remus was describing that worried him. Harry was pulled out of his thoughts however when Remus spoke, "For now though, we must first see if my assumptions regarding your boggart are correct." He gestured for Harry to stand in an open space, "Prepare yourself Harry, and remember I am here."

Harry nodded and watched as with a flick of Remus' wand the trunk unlocked and out of it arose the smoky figure from his nightmare. The hooded black mist-like wraith that would have sent him plummeting to his death had it not been for his Uncle and Professor McGonagall. Then, just like before, the screaming returned, his mother's screams begging the Dark Lord for mercy. He covered his ears before he dropped to his knees shivering. Thankfully, the coldness in the air disappeared as Remus stepped in front of the boggart and sent it back into the trunk locking it with his wand.

Quickly he saw that a chocolate bar was placed in front of him and with a kind voice Remus spoke, "Here, eat, it helps."

Harry took the chocolate and bit into it feeling much better before he rose to his feet looking at his uncle with shame, "Why does it do that to me? Why do the dementors affect me so harshly?"

"Unfortunately, that wasn't a dementor," Remus spoke, "That was a boggart, the real thing will be worse, much, much worse. But to answer your question, in my opinion, it is because you witnessed a horrifying trauma before you could even understand what was going on completely. Now, it's even worse with you experiencing it firsthand. Your fear isn't spiders, or clowns, or death, your fear is fear itself, and conquering that can be challenging for anyone, especially with someone with as big as a burden you carry Harry."

Harry felt a warm hand on his shoulder as Remus ensured Harry knew he was by his side. With a slow voice, he asked, "What do you hear when they approach you?"

Harry never liked crying, it was weak, and weakness had been all but drilled out of him. But while in the presence of the first person he ever met to care for him he didn't care as much about looking weak and allowed the tears to flow. He calmed himself before he spoke, "I hear my mother, I hear her screaming begging for Voldemort to spare me. Then, I hear nothing at all, and honestly, I'm not sure which is worse."

Harry felt Remus grip around his shoulder tighten as he felt Remus smiling down at him sadly, "I miss them too Harry. There's no shame in feeling what you are feeling. Sometimes you need to allow yourself to cry."

Harry nodded slowly calming himself down and once he had felt steady enough, Remus removed his hand from Harry's shoulder before Harry turned towards the Professor. He watched Remus nod and returned with one of his own before Remus spoke once more, "Alright Harry, I need you to close your eyes. As I said before, this charm requires the use of a memory, a happy memory. Search your mind, try to find something that fills your heart with joy."

Harry closed his eyes as per instruction and worked hard racking his brain for memories that filled him with happiness. Initially, his first instinct was during the first birthday party he remembered, where Sirius, Remus, Andromeda, Ted, and Tonks had gone all-out decorating the room with streamers and balloons. Harry had remembered Andromeda sighing in annoyance as she had instructed Tonks to buy blue streamers, but she had gotten Purple instead which played a role in why it was Harry's favorite color. He remembered the singing of the Happy Birthday song, he remembered the amazing cookies and cream cake, he remembered opening his presents which contained a model dragon figurine Sirius had bought him that Andromeda had later forced him to return to the store for being too dangerous. He remembered everything, and with the slight opening of his eyes, he nodded his readiness.

Remus nodded, and once again from the trunk emerged the creature that only nightmares should have been able to create. Harry gripped his acacia wand tightly as he roared, "_Expecto Patronum!"_ However, the mist shield hadn't emerged, feeling the darkness getting closer he tried again, _"Expecto Patron- Expecto- Expe," _but it was too late, acting quickly, Remus stepped in front of him once again and banished the creature into the trunk.

Harry was panting as his uncle leaned down handing him another piece of chocolate before he spoke, "Whatever memory it was that you chose, I'm afraid it wasn't strong enough."

"Damn it," Harry said panting for air, "I don't know what else to do."

"Harry, look at me," Remus said as Harry stared up at the man he considered family, "It's too early to give up. Think hard Harry, there must be something, some powerful memory, something that you may have overlooked."

Once again, Harry racked his mind. He wasn't sure if it was for five minutes or thirty, but when he opened his eye, he had a new memory in mind. Harry turned back to face his Professor before he nodded and glared at the trunk. He wouldn't fail this time, he wouldn't allow it. As Harry had been expecting, the ghastly beast emerged from the trunk, but this time with steeled resolve and memory in mind, he shouted, _"Expecto Patronum!" _As if his wand had erupted to life, a thin veil of white mist emerged from his wand tip, and though the pull of his magic was noticeable, Harry didn't stop, taking a step forward as he pushed the dementor/boggart back."

The dementor made a strange screeching sound before eventually, it retreated into its trunk, no longer being able to stand the light. When Remus had sealed the trunk, Harry finally gave into his exhaustion, falling on his knees, sweating profusely but with a proud grin on his face. His uncle ran to him expressing the same sentiment as he felt himself wrapped proudly in Remus' arms, "Well done Harry, well done."

Harry chuckled unable to keep the joy he was feeling internal any longer before Remus asked, "If you don't mind me asking, what memory made it work?"

"It was you," Harry said softly, "And Padfoot, and Tonks, and Andromeda, and Ted. I remembered Christmas Day, the one where you and Padfoot gathered up all the photos of my parents and put them into the photo album. I remembered you and him telling me stories as we drank Andromeda's hot chocolate and I remembered leaning against Tonks who was hugging me reminding me I still had a family. That was the memory I chose."

A warm smile was on the Professor's face before he nodded, "I do believe that is enough practice for today. We'll continue our lessons some other time. Unfortunately, classes are set to begin again soon, and you should try and grab some lunch before your next lesson."

Harry nodded thankfully as he headed towards the door before he heard his uncle call to him once more, "And Harry, your parents would be proud. I know I am."

* * *

**A/N: And so concludes the two-for-one chapter special. I hope you've enjoyed these last two chapters, I certainly enjoy writing them. Honestly, I love Tracey's character in this fic and I know I should use her more, it's just finding the page time is a killer. All the same, while this chapter did only focus on two characters, there was certainly a lot of info. Pettigrew's escaped, for now, a new form of rune magic was introduced, and Harry's learned to Patronus charm, at least the veil version. Next chapter we'll see how the meeting with Dumbledore goes, and we'll start to speed up the school year just a bit. If you've enjoyed this chapter, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	14. Chapter XIV: Flyboy

**A/N: Honestly, to nearly have 800 followers at the time I am writing this for my first story is absolutely insane. You guys are awesome and thank you so much for supporting my work, it's my dream to write a book one day, and while I still have a while to go, every favorite, follow, and kind review makes me feel like I'm capable of doing so. Thank you all so much.**

* * *

Chapter XIV: Flyboy

**(Dumbledore P.O.V)**

Dumbledore watched with a less than enthused face as Harry fell from the chair onto the floor panting and covered in sweat, holding his head in an attempt to stop the pain. Dumbledore quickly opened the vial for the pain he had prepared prior to their lessons for this very occasion and offered it to Harry who swallowed the contents of the vial rapidly, before brushing his hair from his face and taking the chair once more, "Again," Harry panted, "Let's try again."

"Harry," Dumbledore spoke softly, "While your enthusiasm is commendable, I believe that we must stop, for now, continuing our training would only lead to a risk of permanent damage to your psyche."

"I don't care," Harry said tiredly, "There's a chance that Voldemort could get into my head and learn about Remus, and Tonks, and Sirius, I can't let that happen. I have to be better than this."

"Breath, my boy," Dumbledore said filling a glass with water, "Occlumency may not be a discipline that comes naturally to you, but we will get there in time. Have you had any other visions since the dementor attack?"

It had been a bit nearing a month since Dumbledore had begun his lessons with Harry, and while the boy certainly showed to every lesson with enthusiasm to learn, the process of clearing the boy's mind was difficult, to say the least. Still, as Harry's ragged breathing began to stabilize he spoke once more, "No, nothing."

"Then there is currently nothing to fear," Dumbledore said, "We should take our time and not rush into a dangerous situation. After all we-,"

"How do you do it?" Harry said cutting off the elderly man, "You tell me to clear my mind and then organize my brain into an unenterable fortress, but I have no idea what that looks like. If I could just see an example, maybe I could do it."

This had been the moment Dumbledore had been waiting for. He had promised Sirius and Remus that he would not force legilimency training onto Harry, but if Harry had asked to learn it, who was he to say no. Still, playing his cards close to the chest Dumbledore spoke, "There is a practice in which you could enter my mind. It is the magic I've been using for my training of you. The discipline is called legilimency or and it's similar to what muggles call mind-reading."

"That's incredible," Harry said.

"Yes," Dumbledore said, "It is a challenging discipline, but very useful if it can be mastered. People such as myself even have the gift of passive legilimency, and while it wouldn't be able to peak into an organized mind, it could easily read the mind of one less aware of my probe."

"So," Harry started, "If I used legilimency, I could enter your mind and see what it looks like for an example to better my occlumency."

"Think bigger, Harry," Dumbledore said patiently, "You've already dove into Voldemort's mind before, think of what secrets you could discover if you were trained in the art."

"Why are we wasting our time with Occlumency then?" Harry said, "Who cares if Voldemort can read my mind if I can read his first, find out where he is, and eliminate him? You have to teach me, sir."

"I'm afraid I cannot," Dumbledore said softly setting Harry up right where he wanted.

"Why not?" Harry demanded clearly frustrated from his constant roadblocks in learning Occlumency, roadblocks Dumbledore may, or may not have purposely constructed.

"Your Godfather and Remus have strictly forbidden me teaching you Legilimency before Occlumency for fear that the mastery of Legilimency could drive you to madness," Dumbledore began forcing back a smile, "You must understand that Sirius and Remus are only looking out for you, they-"

"I don't care," Harry said, "They're everything I have. If your telling me learning Legilimency will help me stop Voldemort before he rises for good and I'd be able to protect Remus and Sirius in the process, then I don't care if I go mad. It's worth it. If I just sit here and do nothing, then when Voldemort rises and starts to kill again, it'll be my fault. I won't let myself be the reason why any other kid has to grow up without their parents."

Dumbledore was simply beaming on the inside as he spoke, "Harry, understand that occlumency is a very important magic art, and learning it will only help in the process of learning Legilimency, and I recommend you take the time to meditate and focus your mind, but if you insist, I will teach you legilimency. Just understand you are going against your godfather's wishes."

Harry bit his lip, and Dumbledore could see the inner conflict on Harry's face as he struggled with the idea of keeping this secret from the man that mattered the most in the world to him, but eventually, Harry nodded, "Teach me the spell, I won't say a word."

"Very well," Dumbledore said in his kind grandfatherly tone, "Let's begin, point your wand towards me and speak the following incantation, _Legilimens."_

Dumbledore watched with a smile as Harry lifted his wand and spoke, _"Legilimens."_

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

A feeling of weightlessness had returned to Harry that he hadn't felt since his comatose days, except this time, he felt more in control. While he was amazed he had successfully performed the spell with ease, he had a sinking feeling of guilt in his gut. However, this feeling was eliminated as Harry quickly jumped upon hearing Dumbledore's voice speak out, "Welcome to my mind Harry, tread carefully, it can be an awfully cluttered place.

Soon, the darkness had lifted and what Harry saw had nearly made his jaw drop in wonder. It was a library, the size of all of Hogwarts, with books piled up to the ceiling. As Harry wandered the halls of Dumbledore's mind, he saw books labeled, _First Birthday Party, Birth of Ariana, _and a single book named, _Gellert._

Recognizing the given name of Grindelwald, Harry slowly reached for the book, but when he touched it, not only could he not pull it from the shelf, it burned his hand causing Harry to jump back and hiss, "What the hell?"

"Occlumency is an astonishingly creative art," The voice of Dumbledore called to him, "In the world you create to defend your mind, not even the laws of magic must be applied. Every book in my mental library rests at 4000 degrees Celsius, and yet remains unburned. If somehow my temperature protection was broken, each book is also attached to the shelf by a permeant sticking charm. The point I am trying to make here is that the sky is the limit when it comes to a talent occlumens, and the cunning needed for a legilimens is quite high as well."

Harry nodded in wonder as he spoke, "This is amazing."

"Thank you," Dumbledore said now appearing behind Harry as an apparition, "I am going to force you out of my mind now, "Try to resist."

And try Harry did, as he planted his feet, willing himself deeper into Dumbledore's mind, but the elderly man's mind was nearly impenetrable, and Harry felt himself being forced into a black void. He forced every bit of his magic in an attempt to stay, but soon, everything went black and as soon as Harry opened his eyes once more, he was back, in reality, staring at Dumbledore who once again offered him a glass of water which Harry eagerly drank before turning to face him, "That was incredible."

"It was indeed," Dumbledore said smiling, "Most are unable to even enter my library. While I did say that cunning played a large role in working through legilimency, emotional intelligence and the ability to understand the way another mind thinks is the key to succeeding in the discipline, and in that regard, I feel your free-spirited mentality will serve you well in this practice."

Harry nodded thankful for the Headmaster's praise who stood and yawned calmly, "Now then, you have an example to work with, ponder a way of forming your mental defenses. I will see you next time for lessons, for now, it's time we head to the Great Hall for dinner, and then you should go off to your dormitory for some much-needed rest."

Harry nodded taking down another glass of water before he stood and followed the Professor out of the office and down towards the Great Hall.

* * *

**(Daphne P.O.V)**

Halloween was now just around the corner, and while for most people that meant excitement for the first quidditch game of the season, and trips to Hogsmeade which lead to the blossoming of romance, all Daphne could think of was the exams that were about to begin in earnest. While Daphne felt rather confident about her potions, runes, charms, and transfiguration. Her exams for DADA, Herbology, and Arithmancy didn't fill her with confidence.

She had been intending to go to the library and study, but Tracey and Blaise had other plans as they quickly shoveled down their breakfast before taking her hostage and dragging her to the quidditch pitch, which explained why she was currently sitting out in the heavy wind that made her so cold her nose felt about ready to fall off, glaring at the for now empty pitch, as her housemates made bets on who would win the match. Coincidentally, this had been how she learned the matchup for today as she couldn't have cared less about games, but now, a little more interest took her as she found out that Slytherin would be playing Gryffindor in the first match of the year. Which meant that she would be seeing if all those rumors about Potter being a great flyer was overexaggerated or not.

"What are you thinking about?" Blaise asked turning to her, "You look super focused on something."

"Nothing," Daphne said, "School mostly."

"Bull," Tracey said with a laugh, "You're excited to see Potter play. Come on, admit it."

"I'm not excited to see 'him' play," Daphne said, "I've just heard he's a prodigy when it comes to flying, I'm simply interested in seeing if that's true or not."

"Sure, sure," Tracey said smiling before she turned to whisper to Blaise purposely loud enough for Daphne to hear, "She wants to snog him so bad."

Without even turning, Daphne jammed her elbow into her friend's rib causing her to moan in pain, "Ouch. That was unnecessary."

"I felt it was needed," Daphne said with a shrug.

"Why am I even friends with you?" Tracey said rubbing her side.

Daphne smiled as she remembered the similar conversation at Diagon Alley, "Because you love me, remember?"

"You're lucky you're cute Greengrass," Tracey said with a chuckle and Daphne smiled, leaving Blaise shaking his head at her and Tracey's strange relationship.

"Hey, look," Blaise said as they saw the string of players marching in, "Looks like it's set to begin."

Daphne looked down at the pitch, and from her seat, she saw the familiar flaming red hair of Fred and George, and right in between them, wearing a golden 07 on his back was one, Harry Potter. Compared to the rest of his team, Potter stood somewhere in the middle in height. Both twins were taller than him, as was Wood, but Daphne would guess that Johnson and Harry were around the same height with Bell and Spinnet being slightly shorter than him.

The form-fitting uniform did wonder's for Harry as Daphne noticed how much it accentuated his broad shoulders and firm chest. Once again, as the wind brushed through Harry's messy hair, Daphne had to fight back the side of herself that really wanted to concede the point aloud that Harry did, at least, look good. But she knew if she had said it, it would be the end of everything so instead, she kept her mouth shut.

As Daphne scanned the bleachers, she found her sister standing near Corner waiving a big Potter banner, as the same Black Dog from infirmary stood on its hind legs between then, barking happily. Behind the three of them, Daphne found Professor Lupin who looked down at the Gryffindor team proudly, and Professor McGonagall who was simply festering with a mixture of excitement as she stood up and began walking to the announcer's booth where Bell's boyfriend and third member of the Fred and George mischief gang Lee Jordan sat ready at the mic.

Soon, thunderous applause erupted from the Slytherins as their quidditch team took the pitch, all with their Nimbus 2001's slung over their shoulders, a gift from Malfoy's daddy because he son couldn't get on the team without a little nepotism. Despite her equal hatred for Malfoy, Tracey still cheered as the Slytherin team entered the arena. Daphne had asked her about why she did this, and she had claimed something along the lines of rooting for the house, not the team. It didn't make much sense to her, but then again, Tracey rarely ever did, it was part of what made their relationship so fun.

In the center of the pitch was a lady that Daphne hadn't seen much of since her first year in flying class. The older witch had spiky grey hair which was cut short and had piercing, yellow, hawk-like eyes that were currently being hidden behind goggles. Rolanda Hooch lifted her wand to her throat, creating a large boom from her vocal cords as she spoke, "I want a nice clean game to start of the season. Flyers, mount your brooms," The members of the team did as they were told and then, with a flick of Hooch's wand, the balls all sprung to life except the quaffle which she threw up into the air and shouted, "Begin!"

And begin they did, as Daphne watched each member take off at lightning speeds into the air. She wanted to focus on the red ball and ignore the Gryffindor Seeker entirely, but despite her resistance, her eyes seemed to always float towards Harry. It wasn't long though until the commentating began, as Katie Bell quickly took over control of the ball and began barreling towards the Slytherin Hoops, the game had begun.

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

The feeling of wind rushing by his face, and the adrenaline pumping through his heart as he began to circle the pitch in search of the snitch filled him with joy. Though he would have loved to stop and stare more, Harry had to move his eyes of Daphne, he had a game to win, and upon seeing the shaggy black dog that was his Godfather in the stands cheering for him, losing was not an option.

Yes, he felt guilty learning legilimency behind his Godfather's back, but at that moment, all Harry cared about was making Sirius proud. Harry's eyes momentarily caught a glimpse of Katie catching the quaffle and his sighting was concerned as while Harry continued his search he heard Jordan call out, "And the beautiful Katie Bell has the Quaffle! Look at her fly, she looks like an angel."

"Jordan!" McGonagall cried out causing the stadium to bust out into laughter as a grin appeared on Harry's face. Harry dropped low, seeing the Malfoy was currently hovering high, and feeling confident in his ability to out-speed the blonde git, Harry decided to check a different area.

Harry dove with haste before pulling up at the last minute, flying in between the undertow of the pitch trying to locate the snitch. He heard the oohs and awes as he effortless slithered between each wooden post before shooting up now certain that the snitch was not there, however, just before he was about to restructure his plans, a hint of gold jet past his eyes, and wasting no time, Harry began to tail it.

He was hot on the snitch's trail, but not wanting to give up easily, Harry had to pull back as he saw George just barely misdirect a bludger out of Harry's path, "Close one," George said cheekily causing Harry to nod thankfully as he quickly tried to reclaim what he had lost.

However, his chase wasn't uninterrupted for long as Malfoy, realizing he wouldn't be able to out-race him, decided to play interference instead, "Not so fast Potter." Malfoy said waving his finger.

"Out of my way," Harry growled as he bolted past the blonde, but while the Firebolt was the best broom currently out, the Nimbus 2001 wasn't exactly slow. Malfoy slammed relentlessly into Harry's side, and Harry was certain that he would be pretty banged up thanks to the snake. However, with Malfoy focused on him and not the snitch, it meant that he had the opportunity to try and lose him without fear of losing the game, and with that though, Harry once again dove, Malfoy hot on his trail believing he saw the snitch.

Once again, Harry decided to go for his low spiral, a trick that Tonks had taught him while he was younger. However, to Harry's surprise and Malfoy's credit, the snake wasn't stupid enough to take the initial bait, pulling himself off before Harry skimmed the ground, forcing Harry back into the under-pitch. Not wanting to risk being wrong, however, Malfoy tailed him and a smiled grew on his face, as Harry used his natural flying instinct to weave between pillars and bars, forcing Malfoy to throw caution to the wind as he tried to keep up.

With pinpoint accuracy, that the Nimbus 2001 couldn't mimic, Harry saw his opportunity had shot straight up once more. Then, a grin appeared on his face as he waited for the sound he knew would be coming, and then, he heard it, _Conk! _

Malfoy too had attempted to assent, but not being as vigilant due to his high speed hadn't seen that from his current location, if he were to shoot up and chase Harry, his head would be painfully introduced to a wooden beam, and just as Harry had predicted, Malfoy now lay at the bottom of the pitch of his broom, a large bump on his head, now all Harry had to do was catch the snitch. Malfoy being injured meant that another chaser had to cover the spot of seeker, and Harry growled as he saw Flint now on his tail. But his lack of defense on Angelina had proved detrimental for Slytherin as Jordan called out, "And Angelina Johnson with a vicious kick into the goal. Fred, are you seeing this!"

Harry momentarily turned to the redhead who was at the moment flying right beside Angelina as the two high-fived before breaking off, a happy smile on their faces. However, Harry vowed never to allow his judgment to lapse again, as it was only thanks to George's nick of time swatting away of the bludger barreling right towards his face that he was still on his broom, "Alright there Harry? George snickered.

"Never better," Harry said as kicking his broom into full speed, he jetted away from his pursuer. The snitch once again flew by him and Harry cursed as he saw the snitch was currently gunning right for Flint. Not wanting to allow that, Harry once again charged the snitch, now locked in a game of chicken with the much bigger chaser. Harry's heart was beating, but people were relying on him, he wouldn't fail, just before the two now seekers collided, the snitch ducked down, and with a quick spin to avoid contact, Harry to plunged after it.

The whole crowd gasped, as unlike before, Harry did not pull up and make a new maneuver, his focus was solely on the snitch. Soon, only mere inches from the ground, the snitch leveled and began to fly so low, it's fast-moving wings were trimming the long grass of the pitch, and in a move that made everyone awe, Harry jumped off his broom, landing perfectly on it as if he was riding a skateboard about to put it all on the line. As his broom followed the snitch cutting through the grass, Harry leapt from his broom, and with a satisfied grin, he felt the snitch buzzing heavily in his hand before he hit the ground and tumbled twenty feet.

The whistle was blown, but before Hooch had even come to check on him, Harry lifted his hand in the air revealing the golden snitch causing three of the four bleachers to go wild with cheers as Harry shouted his success. His first real game had been a victory and instantly, he turned his attention to the Slytherin stands where the Princess herself was staring at him a look of shock momentarily appearing on her face before it turned back to its normal façade of disinterest.

As the rest of his team began to land, Harry mounted his broom and began to fly over towards Daphne a large smile on his face as he spoke down from his broom, "Come to Hogsmeade with me."

Daphne simply shook her head as she looked up at him, "Is this your master plan? Keep asking me out until I eventually say yes."

"It's worked before," Harry said with a grin.

"On who?" Daphne asked a sarcastic tone in her voice.

"My parents," Harry said with a smile, "So what do you say Princess, you, me, Hogsmeade?"

"Not a chance, Flyboy," Daphne said with a grin of her own before heading down the bleachers with Tracey and Blaise who looked at her in shock. Despite being rejected, Harry couldn't help but smile at Daphne's nickname for him, Harry didn't much care for divination, but he was convinced that somehow that meant something, it was fate.

Harry didn't have much time to marinate in his thoughts however as Wood called out, "You going to stay up there all day, or are you going to come down here. Party's going to be starting at the tower soon."

Harry smiled as from his bird's eyes view he saw Daphne walking back towards the castle, Blaise and Tracey by her side as he called back, "Sure thing Captain, I'll be right down."

* * *

**A/N: So, I know this was a shorter chapter, but if I'm being honest, I was a bit exhausted today and daily updates are a killer as I do not have this story pre-written. Still, I hope that despite its length you enjoyed all the areas it covered ranging from Dumbledore's manipulation, to Harry's first use of legilimency, to the first Quidditch game of the season, and of course I had to drop a Haphne moment in there. I know it wasn't long, but I still hope you enjoyed, and I might have to start outputting these chapters on a slower basis because man, this planning, writing, and editing is exhausting. If you did enjoy, however, please be sure to Follow, Favorite and Review! As I said, I don't have anything pre-written, but it is in my plan for the first Hogsmeade Weekend to take place two chapters for now so that's something to be excited about. Until Next Time, Peace!**


	15. Chapter XV: In Your Debt

Chapter XV: In Your Debt

**(Daphne P.O.V)**

To say that the Slytherin common room was downbeat after the game would have been majorly underselling it. The snakes were quiet, unable to even lift their heads from the defeat, those that did either looked at Daphne with confusion or Draco in disgust. All the same, the night wasn't the proudest moment for the snakes as Harry Potter had proved to be the prodigy he was rumored to be, demolishing not just one, but two 'seekers' one of whom was the captain.

However, some were taking it better than others, as while Millicent for instance simply looked defeated, Malfoy look outraged, and while he may have meant to whisper it more softly, he paced around the common room mumbling, "Potter thinks he can make a fool of me and get away with it. I'll make him pay, I'll make them all pay. When my father here's about this he'll-"

"He'll what," Daphne muttered under her breath, "Buy you all firebolts. Surely it was the broom's fault," She finished sarcastically.

However, Daphne wasn't aware that Draco seemed to have cat-like hearing, and before she could even ready herself, Draco was in her face, an angry glare in his eyes, "What did you say, Greengrass?"

"Nothing," Daphne responded coldly.

"I know you said something," A vein in the boy's head looking about ready to burst over where the large bump resided, "Probably thinking of a way to betray us to Potter right, since you've clearly lowered yourself to fancying a half-blood like him."

"First of all," Daphne said, "My opinion on Potter has nothing to do with you, second of all, I turned him down, so I clearly don't fancy him, and finally, maybe you shouldn't talk bad about the guy that made it look like it was your first time flying a broomstick out there."

In a fit of rage that even left Daphne surprised, Draco's hand had smacked across her face. It didn't hurt, Draco wasn't a particularly strong man, but it stung, and a trickle of blood had trickled down from her lip onto her white long-sleeved shirt as she looked up at Draco, "How dare you disrespect me. Do you know who my father is? What power my family name carries? You think that you, the ostracized bitch of the Greengrass family has the right to talk back to-"

But before Draco could say another word Daphne spoke in a voice colder than she knew she could produce, "Shut up." The entire room shivered as Tracey and Blaise rushed to her side, hands hovering their wands, "You are an insolent, whiny, little bitch," Daphne started backing Draco up against the wall, "And yes, you're right that I don't have parents, but I'd rather be an orphan than have your kiss-ass father as an example to live up to."

"Do you know why that is," Daphne said not bothering to wipe the blood from her lips, "It's because unlike you, I don't need to hide behind my daddy when things get hard. I'm going to make this clear for you Malfoy, if you ever lay a hand on me again," A demented smile now appearing on Daphne's face, "I'll castrate you and feed your balls to the dog that follows Hagrid around. How does that sound?"

"You dare threaten me," Draco said though his voice was not as strong as Daphne assumed he would have liked.

"I do," Daphne said, "And you should be very careful because the draught of the living dead isn't exactly a difficult potion to make. Maybe I even have some on hand. Maybe I'll slip some in your morning milk, or in your afternoon soda, or your evening pumpkin juice. Maybe I'll talk to other people who can't stand you and have the Twins hide something in your food, or maybe we'll place some acromantulas in your bed, all I know is you've made a very dangerous enemy Malfoy, I promise you that."

"You don't scare me, Greengrass," Draco stuttered.

"I should," Daphne responded.

But before Draco could retort, Snape entered the room, a tight scowl on his face, "What happened," He hissed in a way only he could.

"Malfoy, he hit Daphne, sir," Tracey said.

Whatever Malfoy had been expecting to happen, it certainly wasn't what Snape had done, "Malfoy," Snape said in a cold fury, "Let's go to my office, clearly there are many things your father hasn't properly taught you about pureblood customs. You will have plenty of time to learn them in detention, I promise you that."

"But I'm in your house-," Malfoy started but Snape was not interested.

"And so is Ms. Greengrass," Snape chided, "If you want to go run amuck with Lions or Badgers that is one thing, but I cannot sit by and allow abuses against my own students to go unpunished. Two Weeks of detention should be enough time to teach you how inappropriate your actions were."

Malfoy's eyes were laced in shock as Snape continued, "I should have your broom snapped for this, but I'll let your father decide on the actions, after all, like the Malfoy's the Greengrass family are a part of the sacred twenty-eight. Should her mother or father take issue with your actions do you know what it would cost your father?" Daphne watched on in shock as the man who never seemingly care about any punishment publicly lectured Malfoy before turning to her, "Ms. Davis, take Ms. Greengrass to the hospital wing if she requests it, I'll make sure this doesn't happen again."

Then, with the flap of his long black robe, Professor Snape left the common room, and sulking Draco in-tow as Tracey turned to her, "Well that was unexpected."

"I know Snape normally gets a little strange around Halloween," Daphne said, "But that seemed, well, more odd than normal."

Finally, with a pause, Daphne wiped away the blood from her lip before turning to Tracey who looked at her in concern, "Do you need to go see Madam Pomfrey?"

"And give Astoria a scare," Daphne said with a shrug, "I'm fine, I can deal with it, it's just a bruise, I'll make myself the salve later. For now," Daphne said relaxing her shoulders, "I'm tired, I'll see you tomorrow Trace, night."

"Night," Tracey said nervously as she felt her watching Daphne leave. Yes, she acknowledged she was acting a bit strange, but in her defense, she had finally let loose all the anger she had been bottling up over two-plus years of listening to Malfoy bitch and moan. Her cheek may have been sore, but Daphne fell into her bed feeling much freer than she ever had before. Only momentarily getting off to draw some light protection runes around her bed, a snake could never be too careful, after all.

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

If Harry were to be honest, Halloween was always a tough day for him. Yes, he tried to stay positive as it was the day Sirius had adopted him, and he became a part of what Sirius liked to call the New House of Black, but at the same time, it was also the day that he had become the last surviving Potter. The dread was only heavier now as he had vividly seen the deaths of his parents up close, and not only did the memory cause grief, the fact he saw it was also a reminder that the man responsible for the death was not yet dead. Though Harry promised that he'd remedy that one day, Tom Riddle would pay.

Breakfast had been a bit overwhelming with all the floating jack-o-lanterns and flying bats that swooped around the Great Hall, and it didn't help that despite Harry's not very enthusiastic mood, the fact that Hogsmeade was coming up was only leading to more questions about who Harry would be going with. He had heard that Neville had taken a chance and asked Hannah Abbot to go with him, but had been turned down, and Corner was scared to death about asking Susan, which in fairness to him turned out to be the right move as she had already said yes to going with Terry Boot, something Harry had known really irritated Michael but he did his best to keep his cool.

Honestly, Harry only had an interest in going with one girl, and though they weren't as cold with each-other, Daphne had made it quite clear that she hadn't fallen for him… yet. Harry had been considering just going out with Corner and Neville if he'd accept their invitation that is, but Astoria had other plans that unfortunately did make some sense considering his status as the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Why are we doing this again, Astoria?" Harry grumbled to the kaleidoscopic-eyed witch sitting next to him as the observed the Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw tables.

"Because despite your ample amount of time," Astoria chided, "You still haven't picked a date for Hogsmeade."

"To be fair," Harry started, "It hasn't been due to a lack of effort."

"Well maybe if you go with someone else," Astoria said, "You could make Daphne jealous and then she'd realize how much she actually likes you."

"Really?" Harry said with a cocked eyebrow.

"No," Astoria admitted, "Daphne's not really the jealous type, but still, you've got to choose somebody to go with."

"Why can't I just go alone?" Harry grumbled.

"Because you're an important figure in the wizarding world Harry," Astoria spoke, "If you show up alone, rumors are going to fly like crazy from you being an outcast to you being gay to you having a superiority complex. While all meaningless speculation, it still paints a picture of you poorly in the eyes of the wizarding world, and more importantly to pure-bloods with a lot of money who considering your treatments of their children in mostly Slytherin aren't really your biggest fans."

"And I care why?" Harry responded with uninterest.

"Because breaking custom makes you look less sympathetic to outside support you could need someday," Astoria spoke, "I think you're a great wizard Harry and your smart, but you can't believe you can handle everything by yourself. Just save yourself the trouble and ask literally any girl out."

Harry just rolled his eyes as Astoria began to point her finger at potential target. "You know Lavender's been waiting for you to ask her, she still hasn't said yes to going with anyone." Harry looked at the rather pretty girl with pale skin, flowing brown locks and dark blue eyes. Harry hadn't really known just how attractive he had found Daphne until instead of acknowledging Brown's sizable bust-size for her age, the only thing he noticed was that he preferred Daphne's shade of blue to the Gryffindor girl. "She's a pure-blood whose family stayed neutral during the last wizarding war. She could be a nice ally for you to have in the long-run."

"Pass," Harry said not interested in the curly-haired girl.

"Okay," Astoria said, "Well you could ask either of the Patil-Sisters. They're pretty, and their father from what I understand is incredibly wealthy. Once again, another useful ally for the future if your willing to make some sacrifices."

"I'm not really short on gold, Short-Stack, plus it's not like I'm not trying to run for minister," Harry said with a sigh, "Why do you care so much about making alliances?"

"Because the Wizarding World is a cesspool of nepotism right now, and in order to break the wheel you first have to get inside it. I'm just saying that choosing the right people to be seen with can do a lot of good for your image, which while might be good now, probably won't stay that way forever. The Daily Prophet's always looking to stir something up."

"You know," Harry said with a sigh, "Sometimes I forget you're the Princess' sister Short-Stack. Thanks for reminding me."

"No problem," Astoria said with a chuckle before pointing at the Hufflepuff table, "You can ask out Hannah Abbot, she's cute, has good roots, most people say she's really nice. It's a safe all-around bet."

"Nope," Harry said, "She turned down Neville, and Neville's my friend, I'm not going to do that to him."

"Urgh!" Astoria groaned, "You are literally impossible. Are you just going to turn down every girl that isn't my sister?"

"Maybe," Harry said sending the girl a smirk before placing his hand on top of her head, "Don't stress yourself out about it Short-stack. I appreciate the research you've done, it's quite extensive," he said remembering the notebook full of information Astoria had handed to him a few days ago, "But I'll handle this on my own."

"Fine," Astoria sighed, "I'll give you twenty-four hours, if you've done nothing in that time I'll ask Bulstrode out for you in your stead."

"You wouldn't," Harry groaned.

"Try me," Astoria said with a straight face.

"God you're evil," Harry said with a light chuckle.

"I am the Ice Queen's sister after all," Astoria said with a devilish grin before she looked up, "Okay, it's 9 a.m., you've got twenty-four hours, starting, now!"

"Don't sound so excited," Harry said with a chuckle, "For now, it's off to class."

While Harry loved spending time with Astoria who was well within the ranks of his favorite people, Halloween was the type of day he like to spend alone, it was his day of quiet mourning and honestly the last thing he was thinking about today was dating, even the thought of the Blonde-Haired Princess didn't cross his mind as frequently as it did

That was until he entered his double transfiguration with the Slytherin class and had taken his seat near Daphne who this time neither hit him with sarcastic quip or coldness, instead, all Harry received was silence and instantly, Harry knew something was wrong, but he didn't have much time to ponder it as Professor McGonagall entered the room, a flick of her wand lightning the overhead chandeliers to heat the room.

"Good Morning Class," McGonagall spoke, "I hope you've all done the prepared readings, as today we are going to be discussing animagi. Now, who would like to tell me what an animagi is? Let's see," McGonagall said scanning the class, "Mr. Zabini, what is an animagi?"

"It's a person that can turn into an animal right," Blaise spoke nervously, "Like the great wizard Falco Aesalon who could turn into well, a falcon."

"Correct," McGonagall said, "Five points to Slytherin for the excellent example. Now," McGonagall continued, "Can anyone tell me what the difference is between self-transfiguration and being an animagi is?"

"The difference between Transfiguration and the Animagus transformation ability is that an Animagus can change into an animal whenever they want, without a wand or an incantation," Dean spoke between carefully written notes.

"Correct, five points to Gryffindor," McGonagall said, "For example."

Harry watched as nearly every jaw dropped as without a word, McGonagall changed from a person to tabby cat. Harry simply smirked, he had heard about the trick from Sirius as he claimed McGonagall's sneakiness as a cat had landed him and his father in more than a few detentions. On the other hand, animagi weren't that jaw-dropping to him as not only did he live with an animagi in Sirius, but he also lived with a Metamorphmagus which was just a completely different level of insanity.

Still, Harry felt envious of McGonagall as she turned back into a human and was welcomed by thunderous applause. Harry had begged Sirius to teach him to become an animagi himself, but he had always insisted there would be time for him to learn it after he had completed his defensive studies, as while it was cool, there were far more important spells to learn, and the time and dedication into becoming an animagi was more than Sirius and Remus ever felt Harry currently had.

The rest of the first half of class was a continued lecture of animagi and how strenuous the process of becoming one is, along with a discussion of the registration system and the surprisingly low amount of animagi that have been registered over the last century. Harry did briefly smile to himself as he saw that neither his father nor Sirius were on the registry because of course, they weren't.

However, it was beginning to become difficult to focus as Daphne had continued to not say a word. Instead, she simply looked straight forward taking notes quietly as she completely ignored his presence. Slowly, Harry tapped her hand, "Princess, you alright?"

"I'm fine," She responded curtly.

"Okay," Harry said slowly, "I sort of thought we've gotten past this hostility."

"You thought wrong," Daphne said turning to face him, but that was where she had made a crucial mistake and Harry had caught it.

"You're wearing make-up," Harry whispered, "Your skin is flawless you never wear make-up."

"I decided I'd do something different is all," Daphne said averting her eyes from him.

Then, Harry saw it, just in the corner of her lip, an off-shade of blue, and suddenly, Daphne's quiet attitude, her unprovoked bitterness, and her aversion to looking at him all made sense. A coldness filled Harry's chest as he stared blankly at Daphne, "Who?"

"Who what?" Daphne said.

"Who hit you?" Harry responded.

"Nobody," Daphne said, "It's none of your business, I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

"Was it Malfoy?" Harry said, the chill spreading to his veins.

"It's not your problem," Daphne repeated.

"You're my friend," Harry said, "It is my problem."

"We're not friends!" Daphne growled, but she hadn't realized how loud she had said it as the entire class turned to face the two of them, some snickering and others staring in complete confusion.

"Is there something you want to tell the class, Miss Greengrass," McGonagall asked patiently.

"No," Daphne said, "I'm sorry, I'm not feeling too well, I think I need to go see Madam Pomfrey."

"Very well," McGonagall spoke, "Make sure you get the assignment from another student. You've always done well in my class but leaving early will not be a frequently allowed exception."

"Thank you, Professor," Daphne said quickly collecting her stuff before she walked off, leaving Harry a cold and festering pit.

* * *

**(Astoria P.O.V)**

The rumor mill at Hogwarts was like no other, and in a matter of less than an hour, Astoria had learned about Daphne's snapping at Harry. At first, she wanted to go kick Harry in the shins, but upon further rational thought, it wouldn't have made sense for Harry to have done something to Daphne that would lead her to shout at him the way she supposedly had.

It was a golden rule about Daphne, she never shouted, even when unbelievably frustrated, shouting was never an option. She had wanted to do some investigating, but like most lunch periods for the past couple weeks, neither Harry, nor Professor Dumbledore were anywhere to be found, and while some hadn't put it together, Astoria knew that the two of them were together and she had no idea why. Still, determining that her sister's well-being was more important than anything Harry and Dumbledore could possibly be discussing, she too left the Great Hall after shoving some food down her face and made her way towards the Headmaster's office.

Astoria had made a right heading for the hallway that led to the Headmaster's office, she had hoped he wouldn't be upset about the intrusion, but before she could even continue along that train of thought, she overheard a rather rowdy conversation coming from the inside of an empty classroom. Whoever was in there had made two mistakes, if they didn't want Astoria to begin eavesdropping. The first was that they had forgotten to put up any sort of silencing spell, and the second was that they had mentioned her sister's name.

"I was talking to my father on the floo last night," A girl spoke, "He told me it was worth the risk as the Greengrass family isn't exactly as rich or powerful as they once were, and if we go through with it, some negotiating can be made between my family and the Malfoy's and I could end up with a marriage contract."

"That's good for you I guess," A lazy and uninterested voice spoke, "But what does this have to do with me, Parkinson?"

"Because Nott," The voice Astoria now knew belong to Pansy spoke, "If we do this, Draco owes you a favor, and that means a chance to join his inner circle, which means a chance to get in good with Malfoy Sr., which means a high-ranking career in the Ministry for you after Hogwarts, which means lots of Galleons. Are you following me?"

"Yeah," Nott spoke, and Astoria could almost hear the greed in the boy's voice, "I hear you loud and clear, and without Draco hounding Greengrass, maybe I'll just scoop her up for myself."

"Might be hard to get on her good side after the plan," Pansy spoke, "I mean we are planning to hex her sister into the infirmary. Which reminds me, here are the traceless wands."

"Thanks," Nott said, and Astoria felt her heart beating rapidly now knowing that she was the target for this planned jumping, "And don't worry about Greengrass, I'm sure with this traceless wand, I can be very persuading."

Astoria was quivering with anger, how dare that stringy-haired bastard talk about her sister that way. But for Astoria it wasn't just anger she felt, Astoria was tough, she never gave up, but she certainly didn't know enough Defense Against the Dark Arts to fight two students who were two years her senior. Slowly, she tried to back away, but the sound of an owl cooing drew the attention of the two students in the class. The door busted open and standing their side by side looking down on her were Nott and Parkinson. "My, my," Parkinson said, "It seems we had a spectator."

"Look at how red her face is," Pansy continued, "You must have gotten her really mad Nott."

Astoria turned to glare at the boy, "How dare you speak about my sister that way! If you ever disrespect her like that again I'll-"

"You'll what?" Nott sneered, pushing Astoria back against the wall, his wand in her face, "Please go on I'd love to hear it."

"You have no right to talk about my sister that way," Astoria said trying to remain brave despite the fear that was chewing away at her inside.

"I can talk about your sister however I want," Nott whispered, "And you know why? Because your sister is a stuck-up little bitch who's going to learn not to talk back to her superiors. Trust me, I'll make sure of it."

Astoria's lip began to quiver, she wanted to scream, to punch the stingy haired boy across the face the way Harry would have if he were here. But he wasn't, and she was small, she didn't know much magic, and she was afraid, though she hated to admit it, she was terrified.

Then, like something out of a fairy tale, she heard a voice call out, "Oi! Get off her!"

Her eyes widened as she saw Harry grab the back of Nott's shirt and slam him against the wall with force causing Pansy to stagger back. Harry walked over towards her, completely ignoring the two wands drawn at his back as he smiled down resting his hand on her head, "You alright Short-Stack?"

She didn't want to do it, but relief rushed through her body causing her to cry as she rattled, "I was coming to find Professor Dumbledore because I knew you were with him, and I wanted to find out what happened to Daphne, but then I overheard them speaking. They were saying really awful things about Daphne and I tried to do something, but I couldn't and-"

"Hey," Harry said the same calming smile on his face, "It's going to be alright now, okay?"

"Alright?" Nott scoffed, "Look at the position you're in, it's two to-"

"Shut up." Harry growled in a tone unfamiliar to Astoria before slowly turning around, glaring at the two third-year snakes. "You absolutely disgust me. Not only do you think it's appropriate to attack another student, you two pathetic excuses for wizards decided that you both needed to draw your wands to intimidate a girl two years younger than you."

Astoria swallowed hard, the magical pressure Harry was generating was making her feel like she was losing her balance. Somehow though, through what Astoria could only guess was sheer stupidity Nott spoke again, "A snake doesn't show its prey mercy Pott-"

"I thought I told you to shut up." Harry spoke through clenched teeth, "You slither around here with that stupid house sigil on your robes and you feel that makes you strong. You talk as if you were a snake, a lethal predator, but you're not a snake. Do you know what you are?" This time it was Nott's turned to swallow hard as fear began to form in his eyes listening to Harry continue his speech, "You're just a pasty, pink boy who's too slow on the draw."

Before Astoria's eyes could adjust to what just happened, Harry had his wand pointed at Nott's neck, and his other hand wrapped firmly around Nott's wrist that was currently holding his wand making his once terrifying weapon completely useless. Astoria watched as a somewhat panicked Parkinson held her own wand up to Harry's head before she spoke with a fearful stutter, "Let him go, I'm warning you."

"No," Harry spoke with a chilling voice, "I'm warning you. Walk away and perhaps I won't do the same thing I do to him on you."

Astoria's heart was beating fast, her chest was tight in both anticipation and fear. She didn't want Harry getting hurt, and more so she didn't want to be the cause of why he would be injured. Yes, Daphne was her sister, she loved her more than anyone else in the world, but Harry was the closest thing she had ever had to a big brother, and she didn't want him to risk his own safety for her. Yet, before Astoria could call out another voice called out.

"I leave you alone for one lunch period and somehow you're already with your wand to another kid's throat and another wand pointed at your head," Michael called out, "You're killing me, Potter," But then, from his pocket slid Michael's wand as he approached Parkinson forcing the wand off Harry's head and pointed towards Michael, "Two on one hardly seems fair though, need a hand?"

"I can handle them," Harry said with a smirk, "But if you want to join in, that's fine by me."

"Way to ruin my heroic entrance," Corner said a sarcastic smile, "Now, are we doing this or what?"

"Nobody is doing anything," Another voice called out.

"This is a pretty crowded Hallway," Harry grumbled before Astoria saw that the voice was coming from Cedric Diggory, the Prefect Badge shining on his clean robes.

"Potter, Corner" Cedric called out calmly, "Drop your wands, there's no need for you two to get penalized for standing up for a housemate, but if you fire a spell, I will have to report it."

A small smile of relief formed on Nott's face as Harry lowered his wand but was wiped off when he spoke, "You two, however, are coming with me to go see Professor Dumbledore. Threatening not just another student but a first-year is hardly acceptable behavior. I'm sure the headmaster and Professor Snape would find this action very appalling."

The two third-year snakes mumbled, and Harry turned to Cedric giving him a polite nod which he returned, "Try to stay out of trouble Potter."

"I can't help it," Harry said with a grin, "It always seems to find me."

Cedric gave a chuckle as he shook his head before turning to the reprimanded snakes, "Come on you two, let's go." He then gave one last look at Harry, "Oi Potter! That was some incredible flying yesterday. Nobody has the pitch tomorrow so maybe we could organize some pick-up, let Longbottom know if you're interested. You can come too Corner, I'd like to see just how good the new Ravenclaw chaser is."

"I'm in," Harry said with a shrug, amazing Astoria at just how quickly Harry's mood had changed.

"Sounds like fun," Corner said with equal enthusiasm.

Cedric nodded before he began marching the two third-year snakes towards Dumbledore's office, and before Astoria even had the time to speak, Harry was on his knees in front of her examining her frame for injuries. Concern blossomed in his emerald green pools as she heard him ask, "Are you okay Short-stack?"

Astoria nodded, "Yeah, they didn't touch me. But I'm still upset."

"I know they said awful things about your sister," Harry said grabbing her chin as he looked into her eyes, "But you need to be more careful. I'm not going to belittle you for standing up for your family, I'd have done the same thing. But you need to stay strong when something goes down. And try not to get involved in fights you can't finish."

"I just wish I was better at magic already," She said snarling at the ground.

"I know," Harry said, "I wish I was too."

"But you are good at magic," Astoria spoke, "You're amazing for someone who hadn't been here the first two years."

He smiled as Astoria felt his hand taking its comforting spot atop her head, "I still have a ways to go before I'm as strong as I have to be."

"For what?" Astoria asked curiously.

"To get my family the justice they deserve," Harry said. Had it been anyone but Harry, Astoria might have felt a red flag waving over Harry's head, but that wasn't the way he said it. It pained him, he seemed to be unsure of how to proceed, but in his eyes, it was desperation. All he wanted was justice, not vengeance on the people that killed his family, and who was Astoria to think badly of Harry for wanting the same thing she would undeniably want if she was in his position.

It was quiet for a moment before Astoria rose to her feet and hugged Harry, "Thanks for helping me."

"Always Short-stack," Harry said, his face relaxing into its normal passive look, "Now, you said you were looking for me, right?"

"Yeah," Astoria nodded, "I think something's wrong with Daphne and I-"

"She's going to be okay Astoria," Harry said, and Astoria flinched as she heard Harry use her real name in what must have been the first time in months, "She just needs some space right now. At least from me, I don't think surrounding her will help, but maybe you should visit, just to make sure she's doing alright."

Astoria nodded as she walked away waving back at Harry and Michael, "Thanks again by the way."

"You're my friend Short-Stack," Harry said with a smile, "I'll always protect you." And with that, she turned the corner and began her ascent to the hospital wing.

* * *

**(Daphne P.O.V)**

The next morning had been a difficult one. Not only had Astoria saw Daphne about ready to cry in anger with how powerless she felt about getting attack despite her strong response, she had felt a tremendous amount of guilt in her heart for being so rude to Harry, the same Harry that according to Astoria had just saved her from a terrible attack from the Slytherin's that she was responsible for.

At every turn, all Daphne had wanted to do was make sure Astoria was safe, and at every turn, she had failed. The only reason Astoria was still unharmed was because of Potter, and if it hadn't been for him Daphne might have had to become submissive to all of Draco's taunting in order to hopefully secure Astoria's safety. Now, not only had she yelled at the boy, she owed Harry a great debt, and it drove her insane as it only caused her to focus more on the green-eyed boy.

Daphne was currently sitting at the table for breakfast on Friday in which classes had been canceled as Fudge had called a meeting with all the Professor's regarding proper Hogsmeade Protocol for tomorrow, which just left her mind solely focused on the Boy-Who-Lived, much to her displeasure. It seemingly hadn't gone unnoticed either as Tracey had poked her, "You're doing it again."

"What?" Daphne said turning to face her friend.

"You were zoned out," Tracey said smiling, "Were you thinking about Potter again?"

"No," Daphne said cold as ice, "I was thinking about the attack that almost happened to Astoria."

"Well that's hardly as much fun to talk about," Tracey said, "Are you sure you weren't daydreaming about Potter asking you out to Hogsmeade?"

"Not every waking moment of my life is spent thinking about Harry," Daphne said with an annoyed huff.

"Harry huh?" Tracey said, "Getting on a more comfortable first-name basis, are we?"

"Drop it Trace," Daphne spoke firmly, "I'm not talking about it."

"Okay, but can you at least tell me why you don't have a date for Hogsmeade yet?" Tracey asked patiently.

"Because I have other things to focus on that are more important," Daphne sighed, "Namely Astoria's safety and her condition. I wouldn't even be going to this stupid outing if you and Blaise hadn't forced into coming by forging my parent's permission slip. Why can't you two just go on a date like a normal couple?"

"Because if we did that," Tracey said, "You'd be all cooped up in the library until you eventually died a lonely cat lady."

"Don't you feel like that's too much of an extreme?" Daphne asked not really focused on the conversation.

"Look," Tracey said getting serious, "What you're trying to do for Astoria is a beautiful thing, but you know that she doesn't want you to forget to live your life either. It's one day put the books down and come enjoy Hogsmeade with us. Better yet, go out there and ask Potter, rumor has it he hasn't asked anyone out either."

"I. Don't. Like. Potter." Daphne said accentuating every word, "I already agreed to go, can't that be enough for you?"

"Fine," Tracey said with a sigh, "I'll take what I can get. But still Daph, I just want to see you have some fun for once."

"You're right," Daphne said, "I know I've been a bit high-strung. Sorry for snapping at you, I'll try and have fun tomorrow, I promise," Then, her eyes moved back over to Potter who she saw walking out of the Great Hall before turning back to Tracey, "Look, I'll see you later, I just have to go right now, okay?"

"Go get your man sister," Tracey said with a smile, which forced Daphne to shake her head before she took off after Harry.

She had followed Harry as he clearly was making his walk towards Gryffindor Tower. Waiting until the coast was clear, she swallowed her pride and called out, "Potter!"

Quickly, Harry stopped adjusting his salmon pink shirt and grey sweats before turning to face her, "You called Princess?"

"Can you be serious for a second," Daphne asked in a pleading tone, something she hated using, "I need to talk to you for a little, in private."

"Okay," Harry said with a nod, "Do you want me to meet you somewhere or?"

"Just get in the broom closet and shut up," Daphne said tiredly, not really sure how to go about what she wanted to say. She had been expecting for some flirtatious comment or innuendo, but instead, possibly due to seeing the exhaustion in her eyes, Harry simply nodded and entered the closet as instructed.

As they entered, Daphne found herself in a similar situation. She was nearly nose to nose with Harry, the scent of his cedar and green apple cologne piercing through her like a fine-tipped spear as with caring eyes he spoke, "Look, I know it was none of my business yesterday, and if you don't want to talk about it, then we don't have to, I just don't like seeing my frie-"

"Thank you," Daphne said, struggling to get the words out as she hadn't said the two-word sentence in what seemed like years, "I just, I just wanted to say thank you."

"For what?" Harry asked genuinely lost.

"You are such an idiot," Daphne sighed, "Just yesterday you saved my sister from Nott and Parkinson and you've already forgotten about it."

"I didn't forget about it," Harry spoke honestly, "It's just not a big deal, Astoria's my friend, of course, I was going to stand up for her."

"Not a big deal?" Daphne repeated incredulously, "You nearly got hurt fighting two wizards who were willing to hex Astoria to get back at me and you think that's no big deal."

"It's just not," Harry responded, "I don't care who they are, I won't let other people hurt my friends. Students, Death Eaters, The Dark Lord himself, Astoria's my friend, I'd always protect her."

Daphne stared at Harry in disbelief. He had absolutely no idea what it meant to save another person, the debt they were owed for the protection of a family member from their family. To her, it was amazing just how little the Boy-Who-Lived seemed to care about wizarding customs, and how to him, essentially pissing in the face of many rich and wealthy pure-blood families didn't seem to matter. Still, Daphne pressed on as she took a deep breath and spoke, "Well, regardless of if you think it's a big deal or not, you protected my sister from two very dangerous families. I am in your debt."

"No, you're not," Harry said shaking his head, "I don't care about any of that stuff. Consider yourself debt-free, you don't owe me a thing."

"Potter," Daphne called out just as Harry was getting ready to exit the broom closet, "Debts may not be important to you, but in the wizarding world, having someone in your debt is a big deal. I don't like feeling like I owe you, so for the love of god Potter just tell me to do something for you so I can be out of your debt."

"You're really not going to drop this are you?" Harry said his eyes closed as he ran his hand through his hair.

"No," Daphne responded quickly.

"Fine," Harry spoke, and Daphne froze as he stared into her eyes, "Let me copy your notes for Potions. Honestly, all Corner and I do in the class is dick around, and if I don't actually start figuring out what I need to do, I'll probably fail these exams coming up."

"You," Daphne said in surprise, "You just want my notes?"

"Yeah," Harry said with a shrug, "I mean, I heard from Corner, who heard from Hermione that you're pretty good at potions, and at the very least, you can't be worse than me, so yeah, your notes, that's it."

"I just don't understand," Daphne said tiredly, "For the last month and a half, you've spent every day trying to get me to go out with you. And then, when I owe you a life debt, something I literally cannot refuse, you ask for my notes. Have you gotten over me, or what?"

"Aww," Harry said with a smirk, "Are you jealous?"

"Just answer the question Potter," Daphne said.

"Well, you answered it yourself," Harry said, "You wouldn't be able to say no, and therefore it wouldn't be genuine. I don't want you to come out to Hogsmeade with me because you have to, I want you to come with me because you want to. I want to walk around the small villages and look at houses, or buy sweets, or go on little adventures through the cozy town hand in hand with you. I don't want to go because your honor demands it or whatever."

Daphne couldn't help but stare at Harry in complete confusion as he turned to her and smiled, "Trust me Princess, when you say yes to going out to Hogsmeade with me, I want it to be because you have fallen completely for me. I just don't think we're there yet."

Daphne couldn't speak as she continued to look at Harry, a blank and most likely dumb look coating her face which caused Harry to smile, "So yeah, I'll come and get the notes or whatever on Monday, sound good?" Harry asked to which Daphne dumbly nodded before he turned to her one last time, "Alright, I'll see you around, and if you ever want to talk about what happened, I'm here. You're my friend, even if I'm not one of yours," and with that, Harry exited the broom closet, leaving a completely stunned Daphne inside.

* * *

**A/N: So first, this chapter was hella long, and a pain in the ass to edit, so I hope I didn't miss anything but probably I did. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as it was one of my favorite chapters to write. I think that this chapter did a great job of really reflecting how far Harry's relationship with Astoria, Michael, and Daphne have come since the beginning. I also hope this demonstrated a bit of Harry's skill as, despite the fact he was entering a two on one, he was perfectly calm and certain he could win, just showing that this Harry is indeed stronger than his cannon variant.**

**I hope everyone was okay with how Daphne handled the situation and the dramatic irony of us knowing that Snape was remembering Lily during Halloween as the reason he was so hard on Malfoy I felt was a good touch. Finally, I don't know about you guys, I know a lot of people wanted Harry and Daphne going to Hogsmeade together, but I think the moment they shared of Harry not wanting to force Daphne to do anything was beautiful and must have opened up Daphne's mind to Harry larger than ever before.**

**It may not have been the Hogsmeade set up chapter everyone was waiting for, but I hope nobody found it disappointing. A good slow-burn romance is always the best in my opinion. If you did enjoy, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	16. Chapter XVI: Hogsmeade

Chapter XVI: Hogsmeade

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry had awoken with a yawn, he had gone to bed early after a tough loss during the quidditch pick-up game. Harry had gone head to head with Cedric for the first time, and needless to say, it wasn't as easy as flying against Malfoy because Cedric was skilled in his own right, snatching the snitch right from under him which lead to a friendly roasting by Corner who happened to be on the winning team.

Fred and George, however, had made him feel a lot better as they had joined the pick-up game as well and had told him that even with how great their brother was at flying, Charlie had lost occasionally too and not to beat himself up over it. However, Harry was glad he had gotten to bed early, as when he woke for his morning exercises, he didn't feel so exhausted, and the Hogwarts Hallways were as open as can be due to most people getting some sleep in before beginning their Hogsmeade weekend.

As Harry got dressed in his workout clothes, he recalled the shocked face of Daphne, and while part of Harry had wanted to ask her out so badly, the other half knew it wasn't the right time. It didn't help that he was also bubbling with rage from the fact that somebody had physically attacked her, and while he assumed it was Malfoy, he wanted to make no rash moves, and more importantly, Harry knew that Daphne wasn't the type of girl who wanted others to fight her battles. So as much as it bothered him, he had to push the chilling feeling he got in his chest every time he recalled seeing the bruise aside, for now at least.

The walk from Gryffindor Tower down to the Castle Grounds was a long one, even with knowledge of the secret passageways, but it only got longer as Harry noticed movement in the Greenhouse near the edge of the castle. Harry sat there in observation as he watched the figure he now saw was Neville, getting dangerously close to a Venomous Tentacula plant. Harry knew it well as he observed his palm where the plant had left a burning pain on for a while due to his "mishandling" of it.

However, Neville showed absolutely no fear regarding the plant as he watered it, speaking to it softly, "Hey, don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. It's feeding time now."

Harry was certain the plant couldn't understand what Neville was saying, but it didn't explain how a plant that had been so fickle for him, had gently laid down its branches at Neville's word, as from a cannister Neville began to sprinkle what looked like fish-flakes, but Harry assumed was a fertilizer type ingredient over the plant who upon being thoroughly full, slowly brought its branches up once more almost as if it was intending to give Neville the time to back away.

A bright grin over-took Neville's face as he nodded, "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow, I need to go see Professor Sprout now to work on the Mandrakes." The plant seemed to bow as Neville left that section of the Greenhouse, and Harry couldn't do anything but watch in amazement.

He entered the greenhouse and while not intending to, he seemed to have scared Neville as he spoke, "That was incredible."

"Waa!" Neville cried from surprise before turning to see Harry, "Oh, sorry, didn't know there was anyone else in here. Do you need something Harry?"

"Not really," Harry said with a shrug, "I've just never seen anyone handle a Tentacula like that, the plant and I had a very different relationship the last time I worked with it."

"Uh, thanks," Neville said lacking in confidence, "The trick is just remembering their living things. I think of them as magical creatures with feelings and fears just like us, or hippogriffs, or Nifflers, just because they can't make noise doesn't mean they don't get frightened, it's all just part of the approach, I guess." Neville said looking down at the ground, "Sorry, I didn't mean to bore you, you're probably busy getting ready for Hogsmeade or something."

"Not really," Harry said with a chuckle, "Didn't end up getting a date."

"But you're Harry Potter?" Neville said in almost complete confusion, "How did everybody say no to you?"

"Oh, they didn't," Harry said, "I just didn't really ask anyone else outside of Greengrass. She turned me down."

"I know how that feels," Neville said glumly.

"Hey," Harry said taking a seat beside Neville on the workbench, "At least you had the guts to ask the girl you like out, Corner couldn't even do that."

"Thanks, Harry," Neville said, "Still hurt to get shot down."

"Tell me about it," Harry said with a groan, "I've been getting shot down for months."

Neville laughed causing Harry to smirk before he spoke, "Look if you're not doing anything today Longbottom, why don't you come out to Hogsmeade with Corner and I. Could be fun."

"You want to hang out with me," Neville said in confusion, "But, you're Harry Potter, and Corner's pretty popular too after that big prank, why would you want to hang out with me. I'm nobody."

"You're not nobody," Harry said kindly, "You're Neville Longbottom, the best Herbology student I'd say Hogwarts has ever seen. Plus, it's like I said before, had our parents managed to make it through the war, we'd probably have become friends anyway. No pressure or anything, but if you want to come with, just know you're invited. Might be nice to have a more serious member in our group to help keep Corner and I in-line, or at least try to."

"You really want me to go to Hogsmeade with you guys?" Neville said still clearly struggling to understand the kindness he was receiving. It really made his blood boil with how shot the kid's confidence was, as from everything Harry could observe, besides being a bit forgetful, and a bit clumsy, but nowhere near the level of Tonks, there was absolutely nothing wrong with Neville.

"Yeah," Harry said with a shrug, "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. Plus, what are you going to do if you stay here, most of the castle's going to be gone anyways?"

"And this isn't a prank, right?" Neville said, "Because Finch-Fletchley and Macmillan have done something like this before and it wasn't-"

"It's not a prank Nev," Harry said patiently, "Genuine offer, you're not as worthless as you seem to believe you are, you're strong, I can see it."

It was quiet for a moment, and it felt like an eternity had passed before Neville nodded, "Okay, I'll meet you guys at breakfast."

"Sounds good," Harry said warmly, "See you then."

* * *

**(Daphne P.O.V)**

Daphne had awoken later than normal, and part of the reason for that was the fact that she wasn't able to get to sleep. Harry Potter, his emerald green eyes, his lazy smile, his cedar and green apple scent, every aspect of the boy was invading her mind and it had become very consuming. She was at his mercy in the broom closet, she had been preparing for the outcome of being forced to go to Hogsmeade with him, but instead, he had simply asked for her notes.

The way Harry talked about how he wanted to spend his Hogsmeade trip had done something to her, the way he talked about wanting to hold her hand and go shop to shop or look at the small cottages was something she had never imagine Potter would say. She had expected for him to simply want to find a dark corner and snog, but he sounded like he wanted more than physical affection.

However, none of that mattered as he hadn't forced her to do anything. For a moment, her mind wandered into what someone like Malfoy, Nott, Crabbe, or Goyle would have done if they were in Harry's position, and that thought filled her with dread. Yes, she had been expecting the 'worse' but what confused her more was the fact that the 'worse' never came. As Harry left the broom closet, a certain sadness had hit her heart, and for a moment, but only a moment Daphne had relented that maybe she wouldn't have minded going with Harry to Hogsmeade.

Still, assuming it was just a passing fancy and not wanting to get too hung up on Harry, Daphne crawled out of bed and into the shower. She had promised herself that she was going to push Harry out of her mind for the rest of the day, but that had lasted all of five minutes, as while Daphne closed her eyes, allowing the shampoo to rinse out of her long blonde hair, the image of Harry smiling down on her from his broomstick flashed into her mind and she cursed beneath her breath, "God damn it."

Her shower had been longer than usual, but she had felt awake and ready after her cleanse. Wrapped in her towel, she walked towards the clothes she had brought in with her and smiled, "Potter's not the only one who can play games."

She could have sworn she went through every single winter outfit in her dresser before she had chosen the one she liked. She had opted for a tight white thermal shirt covered by a black double-breasted wool-blend long pea coat with a belt that wrapped snugly around and showed off her thin waist. Finding the appropriate jeans was also an issue, because while at first, she planned for leggings, she had stumbled across the pair of jeans that Tracey had always said made her butt look good, and quickly wiggled into her light blue jeans that cut of at her ankles before rolling her charmed self-warming socks on and slipping them into her black-combat boots.

As Daphne began to do her hair in the mirror, curling it slightly, she couldn't help but smile as she thought to herself, _Damn I look good._ However, that thought was interrupted by another, _Why do I even care though?_

_Maybe because you want Harry to look at you? _Her thoughts echoed. Yes, maybe it was true, she did want Harry to look at her, but only because the Flyboy had taken so much pleasure in making fun of her, that now, Daphne felt it was her turn. Now, feeling thoroughly confident, she had finally reached down to the common room where she found Tracey and Blaise waiting. Tracey smiled at her, "Hey, you're wearing those jeans."

"Looking good, Daph," Blaise said with a grin.

"Really good," Tracey said with a grin, "Do you have a secret date that we don't know about, because if you do, first, rude for not telling me, and secondly, good for you."

"Nope," Daphne said with a smile, "No date, just going with you too."

"Then why-" Blaise started but Tracey answered for him.

"Harry's not going to be able to keep his eyes off you," Tracey said with a smile, "Although, he wasn't really looking at anyone else before. If you too like each other, why don't you just date?"

This time, instead of voicing a complaint about Potter, Daphne just remained silent before turning to the Common Room exit, "Come on, let's get some breakfast. I'm starved."

Tracey clearly was not a fan of her question getting glossed over, but if Daphne were honest with herself, she didn't really know the reason yet either. Something inside her told her that it wasn't time yet. Harry was still too arrogant and troublesome, and while Daphne had to relent the fact that Harry was nice and sweet, she needed him to become humbler before she could ever really consider dating him. Now a broom closet encounter, Daphne was still weighing that one in her mind.

Daphne felt like she was glowing, though she didn't really do it for anyone besides herself and Potter, she felt a confident smirk rise to her face as she saw the heads of boys and some girls even turn to face her. However, to Daphne's dismay, all that confidence she was feeling went straight out the window upon entering the Great Hall. Standing there, next to her sister was Harry Potter looking more handsome than she had ever seen before. She thought he was attractive in his uniform, but the way his black thermal clung to his chest, the way his off-white jacket hung on his shoulders, how cute his hair looked sticking out from the back of his beanie, Daphne quickly determined that she was thoroughly unprepared to see Harry in street clothes.

Her eyes were only pulled from the scene of seeing Harry, Astoria, Corner, and Longbottom of all people having what seemed to be a light-hearted discussion by Tracey's strange observation, "Hey Daph," She spoke in a whisper, "Have you seen Weasley anywhere?"

"Which one?" Daphne spoke with an indifferent shrug.

"The youngest one, the one in our year," Tracey said still scanning the tables.

"I don't see him," Daphne admitted, "But why do you care?"

"I don't," Tracey said, "It's just, I don't think I've seen him miss a meal since his sister was kidnapped. It's just a little concerning."

"Last week I saw him sitting underneath the quidditch bleachers by himself," Blaise said with a shrug, "It was a bit disappointing. I haven't really seen him since then, I just thought he was having a bad day, but that was a week ago now."

"I just sort of feel bad for him I guess," Tracey said with a shrug as she drank her pumpkin juice, "I mean, he lost his sister, lost his chance to get on the quidditch team, I heard that Fay Dunbar turned him down for a chance to go with Harry to Hogsmeade, even Finnegan and Thomas aren't really talking to him as much. I mean, even Longbottom has Potter looking out for him, even the Weasleys aren't seeming to look for him."

"He's a hothead," Daphne said with a shrug, "I wouldn't want to hang around with him either. Play shitty games, earn shitty prizes."

"I know," Tracey said silently, "But still, it's just sad."

Daphne turned to her friend, she understood where her friend was coming from. Unlike most Pure-Blood witches who focused solely on magical education, Tracey's mother prior to her death was a muggle, and for years of her life, Tracey had believed she was a squib. Magic never seemed to really click for her, and her oddness at school had left her being bullied and ostracized. It wasn't until Tracey had turned eight that she had her first major display of magic, and her father had reintroduced her to the magical world where Daphne and Tracey had become fast friends despite her Pure-Blood status.

To Daphne, loneliness never bothered her, but to Tracey, seeing another person suffering from it killed her. She had wanted to reach out to Longbottom, but the consequences of trying to help one of Malfoy's favorite targets didn't really sit well with her. Yes, Tracey was kind and compassionate something rare for the House of Snakes, it's what made her such a good friend, she was the warmth to Daphne's Ice Queen Persona, but she wasn't stupid enough to get involved against the great risk of being bullied herself.

Blaise too understood that about Tracey. He was the one who had gone to comfort Tracey on the anniversary of her mother's death and had learned everything about her then. Blaise while more on the calculating side also had splashes of humanity inside him and it was why he would never run with Malfoy's gang. It was part of the reason he detested his mother for her constant marrying and divorcing of men in order to gain wealth, he didn't like seeing people down, at least not people he didn't consider enemies.

"You could try and reach out to him," Blaise suggested, "But it's Ron we're talking about, he's not a big fan of snakes."

"You wouldn't get jealous of me being around another guy?" Tracey asked softly.

"Not unless you start snogging him," Blaise said with a smirk, "Then we're going to have a problem."

Tracey smiled as she kissed her boyfriend's cheek before returning to their meal. It hadn't been long however until the clock struck ten and the students began to be shuttled out towards the Hogsmeade carriages. Daphne wanted to hurl as she watched Brown approach Harry whisper something in his ear before giggling and walking away to return to her friends. Her disgust turned into a slight grin, however, as she watched Harry turn to Corner and Longbottom before rolling his eyes and pretending to shoot himself in the head.

_At least you won't have to worry about Brown,_ Daphne thought to herself before responding harshly, _I don't care, I don't care, I don't care._

Yet, as much as her brain wanted to deny it, she couldn't help but admit seeing Harry turn down other girls for her made her feel a bit warmer inside before she entered the carriage of her own alongside Blaise and Tracey. Blaise then spoke excitedly, "I'm so thrilled to be out of the castle, exam cramming was killing me."

"Yeah," Tracey echoed, "But look on the bright side, when summer comes around, it's going to be awesome. I mean honestly, I don't know how my dad did it, but he really came through winning those World Cup tickets."

"I know," Blaise said excitedly, "Bulgaria is definitely going to crush Ireland this year."

"Babe, I love you," Tracey said with a snicker, "But you are completely out of your mind. Ireland's definitely taking it all the way."

"Wanna bet?" Blaise said, "Loser has to take the winner out to dinner."

"Looks like you're going to be buying me dinner then," Tracey said smiling as she leaned into her boyfriend's side before turning to Daphne who was currently looking out the window as they left the castle grounds, "Who do you have winning, Daph?"

"Huh?" Daphne asked dumbly.

"Stop zoning out," Tracey said with fake annoyance.

"Sorry," Daphne said, "It's just you two lovebirds are so gross and annoying it's the only way to protect myself." Tracey gave her a mock glare before she smirked and Daphne returned it before asking, "What were you saying?"

"Who do you think is winning the World Cup this summer?" Tracey repeated.

"Oh Bulgaria," Daphne said, "I mean, Krum's on that team, right?" She asked looking for confirmation as she didn't care much for the sport, upon getting the nod from Tracey she continued, "Seekers win games, I'm not really sure why they even bother having the other positions have the time, and in terms of Seekers, Krum's the best in the world."

"Logical as always," Tracey said shaking her head, "Where's your Irish pride."

"Unlike you freckles," Daphne said with a chuckle, "I don't have any Irish blood in me. Although, I guess it's not much comfort since England's team is god awful according to Astoria."

Tracey released a laugh before together, the carriage-mates all stared in awe at the sight of the winter-wonderland they had just entered, Hogsmeade village covered in the first snow of the year, they had finally arrived. As they unloaded from the carriage, Daphne saw Tracey staring at something in front of the carriage mysteriously before shaking her head and turning back to Daphne, "So, where to first?" She asked allowed.

Daphne let an ever-rare genuine smile come out, "Honeydukes. I'm going to need my sugar quills if I'm going to make it through the first exams. Just don't let me buy too many, I don't want to get fat."

"Afraid a certain Green-Eyes boy won't like you as much," Blaise asked with a chuckle.

"This is a Potter-free day," Daphne growled, "Mention him again and I'll hurt you."

"Whatever you say, Princess," Blaise started before getting elbowed in the side, "Right, okay, only Potter gets to call you that."

Daphne turned to Tracey before laughing earning a slight glare from Blaise as together, the three of them began their tour through Hogsmeade, a feeling of warmth in Daphne's chest. Today, she had promised herself, was going to be a good day.

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

As the cold air blew past Harry's face, a semblance of joy ran through his body as he, Michael and Neville had gone shop to shop, stocking up on sweets, new food for Loki, and most importantly a long stop at Zonko's Joke Shop. Harry laughed at Neville's reaction every time he and Michael would plan for their uses of Nose-Biting Teacups, and Hiccough Sweets. Harry had never laughed harder than when Neville had commented on Harry and Michael's plan to hide a nose-biting teacup in a cauldron during potions class so it could jump onto Snape's nose.

Harry wasn't entirely sure if Neville had meant for it to be funny or serious when he said, "I think you're going to need a bigger teacup," But he couldn't stop himself from chuckling at the meek grin on Neville's face as he spoke aloud, "An engorgement charm could probably do the trick though."

"Nice thinking Longbottom," Michael said deviously as he took the teacup to the counter, and while Neville protested heavily that he wanted nothing to do with pranking as his grandmother would kill him, it hadn't stopped Michael and Harry from chanting, "One of us! One of us!"

Eventually, with a determination not to crack up himself, Neville had agreed to buy a pack of frogspawn soap in order to get back at the bullying he had received from Ernie and Justin in the past. While Neville tried to look ashamed, Harry could tell he was feeling a bit more devious than he had let on. Harry couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he thought, _Found our Moony._

They had been shopping around for about an hour, after just exiting Dogweed and Deathcap, where Neville had given both Harry and Michael and extensive lesson in Herbology when Harry's stomach growled loudly. Both Neville and Michael turned to each other before turning to Harry, "How are you already hungry? I saw you put down like forty pancakes?" Michael said with a look of disbelief.

"Hey," Harry said, "I'm a growing boy, give me a break."

"How have you not eaten yourself into poverty already," Michael said.

"I have resources," Harry said cryptically causing the three of them to laugh as they entered The Three Broomsticks Pub.

Harry, Neville, and Michael had no sooner sat down when he saw Hermione walk in the door. Harry was expecting for more people to follow in after her, but nobody came, instead, she simply sat alone on a stool near the bar, a stack of shrunken books purchased from Tomes and Scrolls sitting beside her. Harry seemingly wasn't the only who saw her, as Neville too stared at the bushy-haired witch before he spoke, "Is she all alone?"

"Yeah," Michael said tiredly, "That's how it is in Ravenclaw tower. She normally just heads up to the dormitory and locks herself in to read after classes are over. She's not really all that bad of a person, but she can just be really bossy and it's overwhelming. Most people choose to just leave her alone."

"We should invite her to sit with us," Neville spoke nervously, clearly feeling like he was too new to the friend group to make an executive decision like that.

Harry turned to Michael who simply shrugged before he spoke, "Leave it to the Puff to worry about other people before himself. Fine," Michael said with a sigh, "Go ask her to join, I'm going to prepare for the lecture."

"Surely she can't be that bad," Neville said meekly, "She's always been kind to me."

"Go ahead man," Harry said with the same lazy grin, "More the merrier, Corner's just being a drama queen right now."

Neville nodded and Harry watched as the blonde-haired boy approached the renowned bookworm before Michael turned to him, "He is so into her."

"Are you serious?" Harry said shaking his head, "He's just being nice."

"Five galleons, they're a couple by the end of fourth year," Michael said confidently.

Harry shook his best-friends hand and smiled, "Alright, I'm in."

They had just finished negotiating their arrangement when both Neville and Hermione joined the table. Neville sat down across from Hermione as the four of them waited for Madam Rosmerta, an attractive woman, with long blonde hair and bright green eyes. The four sat in awkward silence before Hermione spoke first, "Um, thanks for letting me sit with you all."

"Sure thing," Harry said warmly, "Why were you all alone anyway?"

"I don't really make friends to well," Hermione spoke slowly, "Not real friends anyway."

"What do you mean?" Neville asked kindly.

"Most people just hang around me so I can help them with their homework and then they leave," Hermione said glumly, "Sorry, I don't want to be a downer, what have you three been doing, hopefully not planning more trouble."

"What else would we be doing, Granger?" Michael said with a grin.

"The fact that you two have only received detentions is amazing," Hermione said with a sigh, "I still remember the prank on the first day of school."

"That was a pretty good one," Harry said with a smile.

"Pretty good," Michael said, "That was masterful. Don't sell us short Potter."

"You two are completely insane," Hermione said shaking her head.

Harry smiled as he and Corner wrapped their arms around Neville and grinned, "Us, three you mean."

"I haven't even done anything," Neville said sheepishly.

"You haven't done anything, yet," Michael corrected with a grin as Neville turned to a nervous smile on his face. Hermione simply shook her head, though Harry did see a slight smile of amusement at the three boy's antics, and soon, Madam Rosmerta had arrived where the four ordered their drinks and Harry had ordered an absurd amount of hash browns and eggs.

When the food had arrived, Harry smiled devilishly at the pile of food in front of him, and he couldn't help but acknowledge the concerned look on Hermione's face as she spoke, "How are you going to be able to eat all of that?"

"Fast metabolism Granger," Harry spoke confidently, "fast metabolism."

It had taken about half an hour for Harry to finish his food, and while what Michael said was true about Hermione being slightly bossy, the witches company wasn't a bad thing, as over that half-hour, she had quizzed the three boys on information for the exams, and while it was clear Harry desperately needed Daphne's notes for potions, following the coincidental cramming session, he certainly felt more confident for his exams than he first thought, his headstart helped, but you could never be too sure, and that confidence had seemed to spread towards Corner, and Neville as well.

As the four left The Three Broomsticks, Harry's eyes were instantly drawn to the Blonde-Haired Princess. He hadn't seen her the entire day, but at just the first glimpse, Harry couldn't believe just how beautiful she looked in the light snow. Harry had wanted to approach her, but he stopped himself, Daphne looked like she was at peace for once, and after all the things that she had been going through the last few days, Harry decided he didn't want to disturb it, even by accident.

Hermione shivered upon feeling the cold breeze break through her coat, and she spoke lightly, "Thanks for letting me sit with you all, but I think I'm going to freeze to death if I stay out here, plus I need to bring these books back to the castle. I'll see you all later, if that's okay?"

"Do you want any help?" Neville asked kindly, as Harry noticed him staring at Hermione's large stack of books.

"No I'm okay," Hermione said with a smile, "Thanks for inviting me though Neville, it was really nice."

"No problem," Neville said with a slight grin, and Harry cursed underneath his breath as Michael gave him a knowing look. Harry nearly decided to just forfeit the bet and pay the five galleons that moment but was distracted upon another chilly gust of air. It was cold, of that there was no doubt, but he swore it felt like it was getting colder than before.

The three boys waived as Hermione walked away, before trying to push the chills out of his body, Harry spoke, "Well, there's still plenty to see." Harry had wanted to go see Andromeda and Ted, possibly even Sirius if he was currently there and not back in their house in Boston, but while Harry liked Corner and Neville, he wasn't sure he was ready to introduce that part of his life to them yet, so instead, the three boys pushed through, finishing their leisure shopping and began refilling their school supplies.

As the three Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, Harry and Corner ventured towards Spintwitches Sporting Needs where Corner, who had received some galleons from his mother after making the quidditch team began to purchase his pads and helmets in the standard Ravenclaw Blue and Bronze. However, it wasn't just Michael who seemed entranced by the store, Neville too looked simply fascinated by the wall of broomsticks, ranging from new Nimbus 2001s to used Nimbus 2000s, Cleansweeps, and even the broom Harry recognized as the Brazilian's National Team's broom of choice, the Varápidos.

Harry nudged Neville, "Do you fly?"

"Not really," Neville said, clearly looking haunted by some awful memory, "Gran always told me I was too clumsy to fly."

"You don't seem that bad to me," Harry said with a shrug, "I'd say if you leaned out a bit, you'd make a fair Keeper. You got the right build for it."

"Thanks, Harry," Neville said nervously, "But I don't think I'd be any good."

"Well, you won't know until you try," Harry said kindly, "I'll talk with Cedric and Wood about setting up another pick-up game. I have an old Comet 140 at home, it's not perfect, but you could have it if you want to just try flying out again. I think you really just need some confidence. I mean, you're confident when it comes to Herbology and you're like the best Herbology student I know. You've got to win the battle in your mind before you do anything else."

A small grin appeared on Neville's face, "You really think I could be a good Keeper?"

"We won't know until we put you in a game," Harry said simply.

"I guess there is no harm in trying," Neville said cautiously, "Right?"

"Right," Harry said in confirmation before Michael appeared by their side with his equipment shrunk down enough to fit in his pocket.

"What are we talking about?" Michael asked.

"Talking about getting Nev on a broom during a pick-up game," Harry said simply.

"He'd probably be a good keeper," Michael said with a nod.

"See," Harry said with a chuckle, "What did I tell you?"

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

The day was winding to a close, and honestly, Harry despite not having the date he would have wanted had a pretty good time with Neville and Michael. Neville was a stabilizing force to their group, adding caution and responsibility, something that Michael and Harry seemed to have a passion for throwing to the wind. The three now exhausted friends had sat down, leaning against a large tree as they stared off into the distance, looking at the abandoned house with sealed windows and boarded up doors called the shrieking shack. While Harry knew the truth of the matter, he knew he shouldn't tell, and he simply sat back and listened as Neville spoke, "What do you suppose is in there?"

"Ghosts," Michael said, "At least that's Dumbledore said. I even asked Nearly Headless Nick about it once, not even the Hogwarts ghosts want to go there."

"Really?" Neville said in interest, "I always heard that a gruesome murder took place in the house, that's why the house makes the shrieking sound. It's supposed to the victim crying out on the monthly anniversary of their death."

"Creepy," Harry spoke, not wanting to give everything away.

His breath was visible now, and Harry had realized the sky was darkening. He could have sworn it wasn't that late, but it wasn't as if Harry had a watch on his to tell the time. There was probably a spell for it, but Harry certainly didn't know it. So, trusting what he saw, and not wanting to get sick, he rose from his seat, offering his hand to Corner and Neville as he spoke, "You two ready to head back?"

"Sure," Michael said, "Might as well call it early, got exams to study for and all that fun stuff."

"Come on Corner," Harry said with a grin, "We both know you don't study."

"Don't expose me like that Potter," Michael said with a chuckle before Harry turned to Neville. The boy was trembling slightly and while it certainly wasn't warm, Neville was dressed in enough layers in which he shouldn't have been shivering. Michael had turned to the Hufflepuff boy as he spoke, "You alright, Longbottom?"

That's when Harry felt it, his hand began to tremble as well, and instantly, Harry's mind kicked into combat mode as he spoke, "We need to get back. Something's not right."

What Harry had loved about his friendship with Corner was that the two seemed to share an unspoken connection, and without a word, they helped Neville to his feet as they proceeded towards the center of town on their way to the carriages. It seemed that Harry was right about something being wrong, as Harry saw many people beginning to tremble as they attempted to shuffle their way into stores for warmth.

Then, it hit Harry and instantly he began to reach for his wand as a grey and freezing mist began to overtake the town, "Get back to the carriages, now!"

"Harry," Neville spoke trying to see through the mist, "What's going on?"

But before Harry could say another word, out of the mist came a host of at least ten dementors and the sounds of screaming filled the air. Quickly, Harry grabbed the wrists of Michael and Neville, not wanting them to fall victim to a dementors pressure, though their trembling bodies showed that it was already beginning to affect them. Then Harry heard a shout that carried a name Harry wasn't prepared for, "Daphne!"

Harry let go of his two friends' wrists as he spoke, "Get back to the carriages, right now."

"What about you?" Neville asked.

"I'll be fine, just-," Harry started.

"Not a chance," Michael said firmly, "We stay together."

"Help!" The same voice cried, and knowing he was pressed for time Harry quickly relented as he led the charge through the mist towards the sound of the voice, Michael and Neville close behind him. The fog was thick, and the air was becoming so cold that it hurt to breathe, but if it was even possible, Harry became colder upon seeing the sight before him.

Blaise Zabini was on his knees, clutching his head in agony as he screamed for help. But that wasn't all, on the ground unconscious was one of the nicest people he'd met so far, Tracey Davis, and on the other side of the boy was Daphne, looking completely helpless as tears rolled down her cheeks as she too was beginning to slip away. Harry ran towards them, trying to use whatever Occlumency he could to keep the screaming out of his head as he approached the trio of snakes, but as if it materialized out of nowhere, a Dementor appeared, and Harry watched as a suction like effect took place on Blaise's head, falling him to the ground as well. Just before the dementor lunged towards Daphne, Harry jumped between them as he forced the memory of the Christmas Day into his head before shouting, _"Expecto Patronum!"_

From his wand, a silvery mist appeared, and Harry grit his teeth as the dementor bit at the white shield. The chills surrounding him, Michael and Neville seemed to subside as Harry shouted through gritted teeth, "Get them out of here!"

Wasting no time, both Michael and Neville sprang into action, as Neville wrapped the unconscious Tracey's arm around his neck, holding the limp girl as he began to run. Michael, who was built a bit stronger than Neville, lifted Blaise of the ground and through gritted teeth he spoke, "Come on you heavy bastard, help me out here."

"We'll get help!" Neville called as he began rushing Tracey to safety and all Harry could afford to do was nod, as he focused on the Patronus Charm.

Harry looked behind him and saw only a semi-conscious Daphne laying on the ground, in desperation he shouted, "Come on Princess, it's time to wake up! You've gotta move!"

But Daphne couldn't move, it looked to Harry as if Daphne was completely delusional as instead of making any effort to escape, all he heard her whisper in a frightened tone was, "Astoria."

While Harry felt confident in his ability to hold off the Dementor with his shield, that confidence was shattered as another two joined the first, and despite the effort, Harry was putting into the shield, his hands began to tremble once more. In the back of his mind, he saw the visions that weren't his of his mother and father's death. He heard his mother's voice pleading for his life, but he still pushed back, gritting his teeth as he shouted to himself, _Come on Potter! You can do this! Come on!_

What seemingly looked like a beak began to emerge from the mist, and Harry closed his eyes focusing solely on his memory. The smell of eggnog in Sirius' glass, the color of Tonks' hair being a mixture of red and green for the holiday, the scolding face of Andromeda as Harry reached for another cookie, the smile on the normally serious face of Remus. Every detail he could remember continued to fill his heart with joy, as a radiating pulse began to push through his wand causing the dementors to hiss. Harry smiled, he was winning, he took a step forward, pushing the dementors back until from behind, another appeared. "Shit," Harry whispered, his concentration breaking.

Then, a familiar voice called out, _"Expecto Patronum!" _From the side, Harry watched as the full-form of a jack-rabbit bound through the dementors, sending them screeching away, as with sweat on her brow, Harry saw Tonks, breathing deeply as she spoke, "You alright, Harry?'

Harry nodded, and soon, two more Aurors joined Tonks as she looked over at Daphne, "Harry, we've got it from here. Take the girl and get back to the castle. Go!"

Harry grit his teeth in anger, he was so close, he was almost there, but he hadn't gotten it. Pushing down what he felt was his failure, he leaned down and scooped up Daphne, who subconsciously slung to Harry's neck as he bolted towards the carriages where the Hogwarts Professors had begun to line up, guiding the students back to safety. Harry's body felt heavy, but eventually, he had found Professor McGonagall who upon seeing the situation instantly summoned a carriage to her as she ordered, "Get to the infirmary as soon as you arrive."

Harry nodded, and as he climbed into the carriage, he quickly reached for his wand, expanding a Chocolate Cauldron from his pocket, breaking off a piece and feeding it to Daphne in an attempt to try and stop her trembling. To Harry's great relief, it worked, and as Daphne's trembling subsided, she drifted slowly to sleep, still cradled in Harry's arms.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that certainly didn't go the way Harry would have wanted. I hope you all enjoyed this action-packed chapter, I figured we'd been building up for a while, so I hope you enjoyed some of the pay-off. I don't know how all you guys feel, but I really enjoyed writing in Neville as one of the groups, I think I got his normally meek, but strong-willed personality type down and I've been using what I imagine Remus would have been during his school days as the inspiration for Neville's character. I actually have a great Neville chapter written down in my notebook so it should be fun to write towards that.**

**I also hoped you enjoyed Hermione, I know she's a fan favorite, but she's only going to be a side character in this story, I'm telling you now, she won't be unimportant, but not in the forefront as she was in the cannon story, her and Harry don't really have the same relationship in my fic. I also hope you enjoyed seeing Daphne and Tracey's friendship outside of teasing her about Harry, and I hope I delivered on expressing Daphne's new thoughts about Harry.**

**Finally, I know we all want the Harry ready to push back 100 dementors, but be patient, I promise that Harry won't remain feat-less, just have some patience, I have a really good idea, and this Harry only learned to Patronus Charm a few weeks ago, and he's been more focused on working on Legilimency and Occlumency, he hasn't really perfected it yet, although we did get a hint of what form it is. With all that being said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if so, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	17. Chapter XVII: Understanding

***This is an updated version of chapter XVII Like I said, I write with a general layout, but I just had a really good idea so I had to adjust my plan. I think I'm going to take a break to write some chapters in advance so this doesn't happen again***

**A/N: So remember when I told y'all to be patient because I had a good idea regarding Harry's Patronus, well, here it is. Also, sad chapter ahead so prepare yourself for the Hogsmeade attack fallout. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the pivot chapter.**

* * *

Chapter XVII: Understanding

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry sat alone in his dormitory, the attack on Hogsmeade had left everyone shaken up, but not him, no Harry wasn't shaken up, Harry was frustrated. He had been reading over every resource he could find about the Patronus charm, but he still wasn't able to figure out what he was doing wrong. He had selected a happy memory, the best he had, and yet when it came to it, he failed. It was the visions, before the dementors, all he had heard was the voice, the voice of his mother screaming. But now, now he saw it. Harry wasn't just trying to fight off the dementors, he felt like he had another presence in his mind. He had tried to fight through it, fight it off with Occlumency, but he was too unskilled in the art. He had tried, he had tried so hard to focus on the happiness, and while he acknowledged he took a step closer to the corporal form, he still failed. The other presence in his mind wouldn't let him feel the happiness that Remus had described the charm needing. If it hadn't been for Tonks, he would have died or worse, lost his soul. He didn't even want to think about what could have happened to Tracey, or Daphne, and the fact that he had received news that he was nearly too late, and that Blaise had been just escaped being kissed and was currently in what Pomfrey had called a "Roaming Soul" state only left him feeling worse.

Harry felt like he wanted to vomit. He wanted to go and see Remus, maybe he could help him, but he didn't think it would. Eventually, however, Harry couldn't take it anymore, and with a new plan in mind, Harry left the dormitory towards the Headmaster's office. Harry knew better than to trust the old man entirely, but his understanding of magic was second to none, and right now, that is what Harry needed.

Exhaustion wasn't anything new to Harry, he had been dealing with it since he was a kid, but every lesson with Dumbledore had left him feeling drained. Still, it had provided him with one great advantage, knowledge of the Headmaster's password. Harry approached the statue, and with confidence, he spoke, "Licorice Wands."

The Gargoyle spun, revealing the long winding staircase that Harry climbed with great haste until he had arrived at the office door. He knocked before he heard a pleasant voice speak, "Come in."

Harry did so, opening the mahogany door which led to the room of oddities and treasures that lined the walls of the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore looked up from his desk, a twinkle in his eyes as he stared at Harry. Slowly, the Headmaster put down his tea before speaking, "Harry, my boy, what can I do for you at this late hour?"

"I'm getting weaker," Harry spoke seriously, he had done a lot of reflecting, and it was something he hadn't noticed before, but the power he had felt upon entering the school and the power he felt know, while not magnitudes less, was still a drop, "Ever since the attack with the dementors, I've been feeling weaker."

"Harry," Dumbledore spoke, "Is this about what happened at Hogsmeade? The Patronus Charm is an extremely difficult spell and-"

"It's more than that," Harry said, "When I tried to do it at Hogsmeade, when I tried to think of the memory, it wasn't just me. I was seeing the visions again, I felt him in my head, I tried to block him out by Occlumency but I wasn't good enough. When I'm trying to do that spell, when I try to focus on my happy thought, I see it, even when I'm not in the presence of the dementors, I see my family dying."

"When you see the visions," Dumbledore asked calmly, "Do you see them through your eyes, or through his."

"His," Harry spoke, "Always his."

"I see," Dumbledore spoke, and for a moment, Harry panicked as Dumbledore had shown a face of genuine concern before it returned to its passive state, "Perhaps we rushed our training too much. You must forgive an old man for trying to stop him before he reaches his full strength, I hadn't even considered this a consequence."

"Professor," Harry spoke, unwanted fear lacing his voice, "What's happening to me?"

"He's become aware of your mental link," Dumbledore spoke, "Just as you feel his misery, he feels your happiness. We rushed our training, and yet, we were too slow."

"Are you telling me we're too late?" Harry said in desperation, "That's he's already inside my head?"

Dumbledore placed his hand on his shoulder as Harry tried to calm himself, "Harry, all is not lost yet, though I fear our plan will have to default back to the original one. Voldemort is still weak, the fact you can still produce a non-corporal Patronus is proof of that. A being like Voldemort cannot understand feelings of happiness and love, it hurts him, this is why you see his murder of your parents when you try to produce your Patronus, it's all he can do in his current strength to interfere with your mind."

"Sirius was right," Harry said tiredly, "I never should have betrayed him."

"Harry," Dumbledore spoke softly, "You made an attempt to sacrifice yourself, your sanity for the greater good. This is nothing to be ashamed of, there is still time, we will increase our lessons to four times a week instead of two, and for three days, we will practice Occlumency, the last we will practice Legilimency."

"I'd like to start now if that's okay." Harry spoke looking down on the ground, guilt encompassing his heart, "I can't let everyone down, I can't."

"Harry," Dumbledore started, "We still have-"

"No, we don't!" Harry shouted, "I failed! Don't you see that! I failed and someone nearly lost their soul! I wanted to protect them, I wanted to protect her, and they almost died because of me!"

"Harry, you are still too young to focus on shouldering the weight of protecting everyone," Dumbledore spoke, in a calm voice trying to relax Harry, but it hadn't worked. Anxiety still bubbled through Harry's body, no matter what kind words were said, Harry couldn't forgive himself.

"I don't have a choice," Harry said grimly as he pointed to his scar, "The prophecy made me the chosen one, it's my job, whether I'm ready or not has nothing to do with it. Please, Professor, I'll do whatever you want, just help me be strong enough to protect my friends. I don't want to feel that helpless ever again."

"Very well," Dumbledore said with a nod after a long pause, "Allow me to find my metronome."

* * *

**(Dumbledore P.O.V)**

There weren't many things that Dumbledore truly loathed. He was touted as a saint, with unparalleled patience, and gifted with magical ability. However, being wrong, that was something he detested. Though part of Dumbledore still felt he had made the right call in teaching Harry the beginnings of legilimency as the boy did seem to grasp the concept well, he had to admit that Sirius was correct, he should have taught Harry Occlumency first.

Yet, Dumbledore did not feel truly responsible for Harry's current situation, in part, he blamed Remus' insubordination. Obviously, Dumbledore couldn't share his now confirmed suspicion that Harry was a Horcrux with the Werewolf, yet he still implored Remus to not teach Harry the Patronus Charm. A spell that is centered around the basis of love and happiness would surely send off signals to Voldemort, a being that could understand neither emotion, who Harry had unknowingly created a connection with due to the Dementors bringing out all of Harry's fear and anger, the emotions in which a Horcrux feeds off.

Why could no one understand that Dumbledore knew what was right? The lives of the many should have always outweighed the life of one, and Harry, though it would most certainly lead to madness, diving into Voldemort's mind to find if anymore Horcruxes had been created and if so where they were located, was more important than anything. Even Harry, the young boy that he was, understood the risk, and yet his guardians had persisted in defying him.

Dumbledore had hoped there was still time for Harry to master legilimency before Voldemort's return, but now, with the fear of Voldemort knowing of the existence of his and Harry's link, Occlumency was of the most important. Under no circumstances could Voldemort discover that Dumbledore was aware of his secret to immortality. If Voldemort found out, the game was lost before it even started.

Pushing that terrifying thought to the backburner, for now, Dumbledore had begun to look through his cluttered mess before he remembered his wand, _"Accio Metronome."_ Like clockwork, his gold-encrusted wooden metronome zoomed to his hand, and a smile grew on his face. Like his trusty Deluminator, his metronome was another one of his creations, one he shared with Grindelwald if he were to be completely accurate.

Before truly understanding the error of his ways, the metronome was developed to create a state of hypnosis and allow a mind to become completely open to Dumbledore's persuasion. While it lacked practical battle applications due to its requirement of complete silence and slow process, it was still a very powerful tool for persuasion if given the chance.

Yet Dumbledore had learned that if forced to do something, a plan will almost always fail. A willing participant will always yield better results, and so, for fear of the metronome falling into the wrong hands, Dumbledore had drawn one rune upon his invention, willingness. His metronome as it was before was no different than the imperious curse, but now, it was a tool, a tool of willing submission.

Dumbledore placed the metronome on his desk before turning to face Harry who looked at the ticking clock in confusion, "Sir, why do we need a metronome?"

"This metronome," Dumbledore said, "Will allow me, with your permission to manipulate your mind. You will feel my presence in your mind almost as naturally as you feel your own. It would be far too overwhelming if you remained awake, so I will need to put you to sleep first. Once I am inside your mind, I will guide you through the process of creating your fortress. You will simply be forced to do as I command, and once your shields have been established, then I shall teach you how to use them."

"You want to hypnotize me to do whatever you want?" Harry asked concern clear in the boy's voice.

Dumbledore nodded, "You told me you'd be willing to do anything, did you not?" Clearly this had struck a chord with Harry, but even so, willingness was of the most importance for Dumbledore, coercion and force was the makings of the Dark Lord, not a Headmaster, and knowing that Harry's willingness would be more beneficial for his grand plan, and deducing that sacrificial protection can only be activated when done willingly, Dumbledore spoke calmly, "You love your Godfather, and Sirius does not trust me." Dumbledore saw Harry looking up to him as Dumbledore continued, "You also lack trust when it comes to me, am I correct in my assumptions?"

"I'm sorry sir," Harry said, "But yes. Sirius is the closest thing I've ever had to a father. The fact he doesn't fully trust you makes me uneasy if I am honest."

"Worry not Harry," Dumbledore spoke, "I am not unaware that throughout my life, I have made my fair share of mistakes. Your honesty is appreciated, which is why I shall be honest with you as well, prior to me entering your mind, I will form an unbreakable vow with you, I will give you my word that my only intent in your mind is to help you master Occlumency as quickly as possible. Do you accept?"

Harry nodded and Dumbledore smiled, while it may slow down his plan, winning the trust of Harry, ever so slowly, would be worth it in the end. As when Harry would learn his death was needed, he needed the boy to trust his word. Hand in hand, Dumbledore began to perform the unbreakable vow and smiled as Harry visibly began to relax. With his grandfatherly tone, Dumbledore spoke, "Shall we begin?"

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Dumbledore's willingness to make the unbreakable vow had bestowed Harry with confidence and momentary trust in the old man. However, though he hated to admit it, Harry would probably have consented without it. Albus Dumbledore was the only man the Dark Lord feared, he was the greatest wizard to ever live, and if Harry had to give up his freedom to protect his friends, his family, the people who needed him, he would have done it in a heartbeat.

Even with some renewed faith in Dumbledore, Harry's hands trembled slightly as from a slot hanging just to the side of the metronome was a vile filled with a pure-black liquid that looks more like sludge than a potion. The Elixir of Awakening is what Dumbledore had called it, and as he explained it, it would but Harry into a sleep so close to death that it would give Dumbledore free-reign to even the deepest corners of his mind. Still, with the faces of Blaise, Tracey, and Daphne looking as awful as they had due to Harry's inability to perform, he closed his eyes and drank, the only noise he heard was the faint ticking of the metronome seeming to grow ever more distant each second.

Harry's breathing began to slow, the beating of his heart had become less frequent, and his mind was beginning to lose its grasp on his consciousness until eventually, everything went black. However, a drip of water fell onto his face, and instantly, his eyes shot open, but he wasn't in a place he recognized, Harry was somewhere with no outside light, no sound, no breeze, and no people. His body felt wet as he found himself submerged in a thin layer of water resting just at the sides of his face, and most disturbingly of all, he felt naked, only being covered by a glowing white light. Groggily, Harry rose to his feet, the water shifting around him as he called out, "Where am I?"

"This is your mind," Dumbledore called out from behind him, he as wellbeing cloaked in a bright glow, "At its most natural and empty state, in reality, you're near death thanks to the elixir, your consciousness resting in limbo."

"So what do we do now?" Harry asked.

"Look over there," Dumbledore spoke, and Harry did so, unable to disobey due to the hypnosis, and his heart, if this form of himself even had one seemingly stopped. In the corner of Harry's now empty mind, sat a creature of unmatched ugliness, curled on the ground, exposed by the lack of protection in Harry's mind. If Harry were to describe it, it looked like a premature baby on the verge of death. It's limbs where thin, it's skin, a pasty red, and it was crying.

"What the hell is that?" Harry asked in both confusion and disgust.

"The conduit in which Voldemort has access to your mind if I were to hazard a guess," Dumbledore said, though Harry was unsure if that was the whole truth, "Just as I suspected, and as you can clearly see, it's currently in a very weak state."

"So what do I do?" Harry asked still completely lost, he was certainly a much better legilimens than Occlumens and he was unaware of what was to be done next?"

"In the simplest of terms," Dumbledore said calmly, "We will cut him out, and seal him away, far away in your mind."

"Why don't we just use legilimency on him now," Harry spoke desperately, "Won't I be able to see into his mind."

"Yes," Dumbledore nodded, "And due to your current state of near-death, he'll be able to see into not only yours but mine as we are currently sharing your space if you will. It will take time to track down each Horcrux, destroy them, and even then, I am still not certain that Voldemort hasn't done the same thing off sealing that information away just as we are attempting to seal him from your mind. Not to mention, he is aware of your connection now, even while weakened, Voldemort is one of the strongest wizards to walk the earth, we have no idea what safeguards are in place if we truly try and probe now."

"Finally," Dumbledore said, "The longer we remain in this limbo, the less of a chance you have to return, the land of the near-dead is not a welcoming place for the living, even as we speak, we are currently in a race against the clock."

"For now," Dumbledore said with a slight smile, "We focus on your ability to learn and master occlumency, and then, when we are at less of a risk, we will attack his mind." Dumbledore then turned to Harry grit his teeth in preparation, "I want you to contain this conduit, think of something that can be used to store something away. It is always better if the ideas are your own, even if I'm in control."

Harry closed his eyes and imagine the trunk he had scene Moony use to hide the boggart during his first Patronus training and Dumbledore nodded, "Ah I see," he spoke, "Something like this?"

Suddenly the dying-infant was no longer visible, and in its place was a large chest, locked away under tons and tons of chains each requiring a separate key. Harry imagined the chest near a freezing cold lake, remembering his first dip into the Blake Lake, and with a wave of Dumbledore's wand, Harry saw that the chest was now alone on an island surrounded by icy water locked away with the keys resting at the bottom of the dark abyss.

Dumbledore nodded, "Certainly an interesting way of sealing him away, however, we still have much work to do." Harry turned to the professor in confusion as he spoke, "The reason I believe you struggle with Occlumency, is your great ability to feel. It is that ability that makes you able to craft such deep relationships with your friends, it is that ability that pushes you to do whatever it takes to protect those you care about, and it is that ability that makes your personality inept at Occlumency, which requires a detachment from all feelings to be truly effective. It is this reason why Voldemort is such a powerful Occlumens himself, even in a weakened state, he has no ability to love, the only emotion he has is anger, and hate."

"So what do I do?" Harry spoke.

"Instead of clearing your mind," Dumbledore spoke, "I believe that your version of Occlumency should be to overwhelm your invader instead. Unlike my mind, the well-organized library, it is my belief that yours should be a cluttered space that makes looking into your mind difficult and time-consuming, giving you ample opportunity to push an invader out of your mind before they find what they are looking for. Instead of giving invaders a blank canvas, you will give them a wall of insurmountable obstacles that make a successful invasion impossible once you become aware of it."

"How do I do that?" Harry spoke.

"Simply do as I say," Dumbledore said warmly, and with a nod, Harry began.

* * *

**(Daphne P.O.V)**

Daphne had never felt so cold in her life. First, it was screaming, all the screaming, the fight she had with her father, the anger she felt towards her mother for doing nothing, every awful trip back to the Greengrass Manor to see Astoria all floated to her mind. But all those fights, all of the pain, it was nothing compared to the vision the dementors had shown her.

A grave, a simple tombstone with the name Astoria Greengrass 1982-2002 written on it. Twenty years, Daphne had done the math, it was her greatest fear, the thing that had filled her with the most dread, she had failed to save her sister, she had lost, and at that moment, Daphne too wanted to die. She was the only one at the gravesite, she was forced to mourn her sister alone, and the amount of heartache she was feeling was the closest she had ever wanted to get to hell.

But things began to get warmer, she didn't know what was happening, but she was pulled away from her vision, and her stomach was filled with light hints of milk chocolate as she felt cloaked in a warm embrace. It no longer had felt terrifying, she had felt safe, and it was that comfort that had allowed her to drift off to sleep. When she had awoken, it was clearly dark, Daphne would have gauged that it was well past midnight, and her grogginess was overwhelming. She scanned her surroundings and had quickly come to understand that she was currently in the infirmary. Her heart started to face as in the beds just to the left of her, she saw that Tracey and Blaise were there as well.

Daphne was just about to hop out of her bed to check on her friends when she realized she wasn't the only one in it, turning to the side to see Astoria nestled next to her, gripping her tightly in an attempt to heat Daphne's trembling body with her own. She looked down at her sister, and tears of relief began to spill from her eyes as she realized that her vision of her sister's death was just a dream, an awful nightmare.

Feeling guilty, but desperately needing to understand what had happened, she gently nudged her sister whispering, "Astoria, Astoria I need you to wake up."

Slowly, the kaleidoscopic eyes of her sister came into focus, and before Daphne could get a word in, the breath was knocked out of her by the extremely tight hug her sister had engaged her in. Daphne felt the hot tears running down her clothes from Astoria who seemed at a loss for words herself before she spoke, "You're okay, I'm so glad you're okay."

"Astoria," Daphne spoke gently, "What happened?"

"A dementor attack," Astoria said shaking her head, "I was in the Greenhouse with Vane, working on our Herbology project, and all of a sudden, I saw Harry bust through the doors carrying you in his arm as he ran you to the infirmary. I followed him, but when I asked him what happened all he said was that he was sorry before he left."

"Fudge was here earlier too," Astoria continued, "He said that he was unsure why the attacks were happening and that he'd have his Aurors and Unspeakables investigate what's causing the Dementors to go haywire. He claimed he received an anonymous tip saying that Sirius Black was currently hiding in mountains around Hogsmeade and had ordered Aurors and the Dementors to overlook Hogsmeade to make sure that with Harry around, Black wouldn't get away again. For some reason though, instead of staying around the mountains the Dementors disobeyed and attacked the village forcing the Aurors into action."

"Why would Fudge believe an anonymous tip?" Daphne asked in confusion, "Surely even he can't be that inept?"

"He said that the letter was delivered with a memory vial. Fudge claimed it contained evidence that Black is an Animagus, a large black dog to be exact, and the fact that the information of Black's Animagus ability was unknown to even the ministry led Fudge to believe it was a credible tip."

"But who would know that Black is an Animagus?" Daphne pondered, "If he was illegal, it would be unlikely he would share that information outside his group of friends, and from what we know, the only friends he had, he betrayed to the Dark Lord, something isn't adding up here."

"I thought so to," Astoria said, "But I also had other concerns that were more important."

"I'm sorry I made you worry," Daphne said earnestly.

"It's not just you," Astoria said, "First it was Harry, and then you got attacked, and now Harry's acting all weird, plus Tracey hasn't woken up yet, and Blaise, I-," But Astoria stopped herself before she tried again, "Honestly, everything's a complete disaster right now."

"I'm sorry I made you worry Astoria," Daphne said earnestly, "But it's going to be okay, I promise, everything's going to be okay. How are Tracey and Blaise?"

"Tracey's okay," Astoria said, "Madam Pomfrey said she'd wake up soon, but Blaise, he, Blaise is-,"

"Astoria," Daphne spoke anxiously, "What about Blaise?"

"They don't know what's wrong with him," Astoria said quickly, "The Dementors nearly got to him. It was such a close call, even Madam Pomfrey isn't sure if he's going to make it."

"Hey Astoria," Daphne said a lost look on her face, "That isn't funny, Blaise has to be okay, he just has to be. Tracey and I are okay, so it just doesn't make sense. Why are we okay and he isn't?"

"Harry, he," Astoria said, "It's all just rumors I've heard, but Harry only made it to you guys after Blaise had been face to face with a dementor. And then, the Aurors showed up, and I don't know Daphne, I wasn't there, god I want to tell you more, but I don't know."

"He can't be gone," Daphne said. Her relationship with Blaise wasn't the strongest, it wasn't like her relationship with Tracey who she'd known prior to Hogwarts. But Blaise was always around, he was kind and funny, and Daphne despite her cold untrusting demeanor had trusted him. It wasn't just that Blaise was their informant into the male dormitory and Draco, it wasn't just that Blaise was Tracey's boyfriend despite their relationship only starting halfway through the summer, Blaise was important to her, and this news had only made that more clear, "Astoria, he can't be gone."

Astoria rushed and tackled her once more, and Daphne couldn't help but ball her hands into fists as tears streamed down her face. Blaise was her friend, and now her friend could be gone, "Damn it," Daphne said as the memories of Blaise filled her mind, "Damn it all."

Daphne had allowed her Ice Queen walls to fall as her tears began to run wildly and without shame as she turned to look towards her fallen friend. His chest was still moving up and down as he continued to breathe, his face still looked to be full of color. He looked like he was about to wake up any minute now, but Daphne knew the truth now, there was a chance he'd never wake, he'd never be the Blaise she knew again, and while initially, she wanted to scream at the Aurors and Potter for not saving her friend, she knew it wasn't their fault. It was the dementors' fault, it was Fudge's fault, it was whoever sent the anonymous tip's fault for being incorrect, and yet knowing who was at fault didn't help her at all. Painfully, she turned to her best-friend who too was sound asleep, and with a painful whisper she spoke, "Oh god, what am I going to tell Tracey?"

Before she could hear any response, the doors of the infirmary opened, and Madam Pomfrey entered the hospital wing in a rush, clearly, the charm to alert her that Daphne had awoken had gone off and within seconds Madam Pomfrey was by her bedside, "Good to see you've woken up Miss Greengrass. How are you feeling?"

"Blaise," Daphne spoke tiredly, 'Do you really not know what's going on with him?"

A grim look overtook Madam Pomfrey's face as she nodded and the sinking feeling in her chest doubled, "What's going to happen to him?"

"The Headmaster's already sent word to his mother," Madam Pomfrey spoke, "She'll be the medical proxy moving forward regarding Mr. Zabini's condition." Pomfrey then drew her wand as she spoke, "Now please, I know this is hard for you, but I need to run some tests."

Daphne felt too cold to respond, instead, she simply nodded as her body limped back onto the bed, staring at her dark-skinned friend, a pained look in her eyes as Pomfrey began to check her vitals. It had taken a few minutes, but eventually, Pomfrey spoke, "It seems like you're going to make a full recovery Miss Greengrass. There are grief counselors available to you at any time should you want to seek out help. For now, I can only leave you with this," She said as she pulled out a purple potion, "Potion of Dreamless Sleep."

Daphne looked at the bottle and took it from the Matron's hand. _I just need the hurt to stop, _Daphne thought to herself looking at the potion, _Just for a little bit._ She uncorked the vial, and Madam Pomfrey spoke quietly, "I'll keep you under evaluation tonight. And Miss Greengrass, I'm sorry, I wish there was more I can do, but I've never seen anything quite like this before."

Daphne nodded, as she stared at Blaise the vial near her lips, "I'm sorry too," and then, she drank. Just for a little, she wanted her life to be less cruel, just for a little she wanted to sleep, just for a little, she wanted to forget.

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry found himself sitting alone at the Astronomy Tower the next morning. He hadn't been able to sleep despite his exhaustion, and his frustration had only grown as while Dumbledore had assisted him in creating a mind-space for occlumency, his aptitude for it was still much lower than his skill in legilimency. His mental fortress was based on the Winchester Home, a place Sirius had taken Harry to visit one time during his summer vacation.

Sarah Winchester, the lady who had built the house was believed to be crazy by muggles, who claimed she had built the insane house with the fear that ghosts were out to get her. But Sirius had informed him that while Winchester was mad, in reality, she was a seer, and while muggles couldn't see them, Harry certainly saw all the ghosts that wandered the halls of the home. Harry had used the lady's house as inspiration for his own mind-space, a large house filled with stairways that led to nothing, trap doors, paths that led only to useless information and would buy Harry enough time for if someone had invaded his mind to push them out. However, just as Dumbledore had helped him craft it, he needed his help implementing it, and despite his unrelenting tenacity, Dumbledore had called it a night early as he was still able to push through Harry's mind-barrier with ease. The only bright side was that he felt confident that the Voldemort conduit wouldn't be a problem anymore.

For a moment, he had wanted to try a Patronus Charm to see if it would work, but the way Harry was feeling, he didn't feel able to think of a happy memory. In fact, the only emotion Harry had felt was guilt. He had relieved the situation over and over in his head. Blaise was already face to face with a dementor by the time he arrived, he was as good as gone before Harry even got there, and yet, Harry couldn't stop feeling guilty. Had he just been a little faster, had he noticed just a little sooner, had he been able to fight off the other presence and summon a Corporeal Patronus, maybe Blaise wouldn't be in the state he currently was in.

Blaise was her friend, hers and Tracey, and while he had heard that Daphne was released from the hospital wing on his way to the Astronomy Tower, Harry couldn't bear the thought of facing her. For a while, Harry was convinced it was just a fun crush, and he didn't care if Daphne didn't like, he'd survive. But now, the thought of Daphne blaming him, hating him for not being able to save Blaise if he never woke filled him with dread. Harry gripped the copy of the Daily Prophet that he had knicked from some unaware Ravenclaw girl and the headline made Harry sick:

_Harry Potter, Hogsmeade Hero._

_As I'm sure we all know, just yesterday due to an anonymous tip received by Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, stating that he had strong evidence that Sirius Black, the villain partially responsible for the Deaths of our Hero's Parent's Lily and James Potter was in the area. This tip was further corroborated by the fact the source revealed the fact that Sirius Black is an unregistered Animagus of a large Black Dog through a memory vial, (See figure 2)._

_ While the ministry stands in agreement with Fudge about taking the correct action, the dementors for reasons unknown to the Ministry and are being investigated with, "Great scrutiny and priority," according to Minister Fudge attacked the small village of Hogsmeade During the Student's Halloween Hogsmeade Weekend._

_ This reporter, feels, as she imagines you all do as well, horrified that children had to face such a terrifying experience. Thankfully, for the panicked crowd, a few brave students answered the call of duty before the Auror's arrived on the scene, helping to keep damages to a minimum. Memory vials taking from witnesses of the events show that Ravenclaw Third Year, and Hufflepuff Third Year, Michael Henry Corner and Neville Frank Longbottom, were instrumental in assisting Harry Potter in their attempts to save their fellow students (Figure 3.) As seen in the photo below, Mr. Corner and Mr. Longbottom each were accurately remembered taking students to safety, in Mr. Corner's arms, one Blaise Zabini, and leaning against Mr. Longbottom, one Tracey Davis._

_ However, while the efforts of Misters Corner and Longbottom were certainly heroic and worthy of praise, the main sight to behold is the heroic actions of the Boy-Who-Lived himself, Harry Potter. As everyone knows, Harry Potter became our hero following his miraculous defeat of the Dark Lord himself in his infancy. This reporter always believed that this showed Mr. Potter to be an incredible wizard, and I am proud to say I was correct in my belief, as Harry Potter, seen in Figure 1. Conjured the Patronus Charm, a skill beyond the N.E.W.T level in order to hold off, three, yes three dementors at once._

_ It is thanks to Mr. Potter's heroic efforts that the damage was not as bad as it could have been, as shortly after Mr. Potter's magically stunning display, Auror's arrived on the scene led by our very own Alastor Moody and sent the Dementors reeling back to where they belong, outside the limits of Hogwarts and its nearby village._

_ But not only did we learn of Harry's talent, a possible glimpse of the young man's love life was also put on full display, as while it was reported that Mr. Potter had attended Hogsmeade unaccompanied, this display of Hogwarts Third-Year Slytherin Daphne Greengrass gripping tightly to Harry's neck as he bridal carried her away from soul-snatching danger is surely something that will be making the cover of Witch Weekly Magazine (figure 4)._

_ All this reporter has to say is that for all the young ladies who were pining after the Boy-Who-Lived, it's time to act fast, as while there is no confirmation about the two third-year's relationship, it doesn't take a seer to see the writing on the wall. _

Harry looked down at the report in disgust. Not only had they falsely painted Harry as this hero instead of the failure he felt he was, but there also was not a single mention of the fact that Blaise had not made it through the event unscathed. There was no semblance of regret, no discussion of the Zabini family, no information regarding what exactly Fudge had planned for something like this not to happen again. Instead of focusing on the events that truly mattered, the report spoke of the relationship he was quite sure he'd never have with Daphne instead.

He put his wand to the paper, lighting it on fire as he watched the black and white press burn away. A pang of sadness once again filled his heart, but as he heard the climbing of footsteps, Harry lifted his wand, readying himself before he heard a voice call out, "Wotcher Harry. You can put the wand away."

"Tonks?" Harry called out in confusion as from the hall, his older sister entered the room, a slight smile on his face, "Why are you here?"

"Why do you think?" Tonks asked softly as she walked towards him.

"If you're going to ask how I'm feeling," Harry said with a sigh, "I'm fine."

"No you're not," Tonks said now sitting beside him.

"I'm fine Tonks, it wasn't like what happened to Blaise was my fault anyway," Harry said trying to keep up his non-emotional façade.

"And yet you're blaming yourself," Tonks said, "I'm not some random stranger kid, I watched you grow up, I know you're not okay."

"How am I supposed to be okay," Harry relented knowing the jig was up, "A kid's in a coma because of me Tonks, because I wasn't fast enough, because I wasn't strong enough."

"No Harry," Tonks spoke honestly, "A kid's in a coma because me and my department didn't do our job fast enough. It has nothing to do with you."

"It sure felt like it had to do with me," Harry said, "I failed Tonks, I couldn't save him."

"Harry, you didn't do anything wrong," Tonks spoke.

"Of course I did something wrong!" Harry shouted his emotions bubbling, "If I hadn't done anything wrong a kid wouldn't be in the infirmary clinging onto life!"

"You're a kid!" Tonks shouted back gripping his shoulders tightly, "You're the most powerful Thirteen-year-old kid I know, but you're still a kid. The blame doesn't rest on you, you're not responsible for his loss."

"It's not the same Tonks," Harry said defeatedly, "I'm the chosen one, I have to be better than this, I have to be."

"And you will be," Tonks said firmly.

"It won't change the fact that I failed to save Blaise from the dementor," Harry said with no energy left.

"People die, Harry. People get hurt," Tonks said as calmly as possible, "It happens all the time, and sometimes it's not anyone's fault. On my first mission out of the academy, five of us Aurors went after this wizard named Greyfallon, I was the only one to come back. I know it hurts Harry, I know you feel guilty, but you have to forgive yourself because what you did was more than anyone could ask from you. You didn't fail, and even if you feel you did, you think moping around here is going to make anything better."

"You have friends Harry," Tonks said, "People that are there for you. You have my mom, my dad, Padfoot, Remus, me, you're not alone Harry. Don't isolate yourself from the world. Even if you think you failed, you need to get back on your feet and go fail again, and again, and again, no matter how many times it takes until you get it right. You're a member of the new House of Black, we don't quit, no matter what. Do you understand?"

Harry looked up at her older sister, and with the grit of his teeth, he nodded as Tonks reached down to help him up, to which Harry accepted, "Good, now let's go get you something to eat, you look like shit."

A small grin appeared on Harry's face for the first time since Hogsmeade and Harry spoke slowly, "Hey Tonks, thanks."

"You're my little brother Harry," Tonks said with a soft smile, "I love you kid, always."

* * *

**A/N: Told you it would be a kind of sad chapter. Now before anyone says that Harry got over Blaise's condition too easily, Harry didn't know Blaise, yes, he'll 'mourn' for a person just like you would for victims of a natural disaster, but it's not going to break him. What was killing Harry inside is his guilt over failing to save everyone, even though Blaise's interaction with the dementors happened the moment Harry arrived there, there was nothing he could do with his current skill set. Blaise's 'Roaming-Soul' condition as I'm going to call it is going to have a more profound effect of Daphne and Tracey, mostly Tracey, but neither girl blames Harry for what happened.**

**All that said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter with Dumbledore's training of Harry and Tonks' speech. There really isn't much to say except Harry will be seeing Daphne again post-Hogsmeade next chapter, so wish him luck. If you enjoyed this chapter, please be sure to Follow, Favorite and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	18. Chapter XVIII: Now We're Even

**A/N: Alright, this chapter is going to be sort of short, it's mainly a transition chapter, but there are important events inside that I hope you'll enjoy. Thank you guys for all your support, now let's do this!**

* * *

Chapter XVIII: Now We're Even

**(Daphne P.O.V)**

When Tracey had awoken, Daphne couldn't fight back the pain she felt in her chest seeing the heartbreak in her best friend's eyes. She was the Ice-Queen, a stone-cold bitch, but when it came to Tracey or Astoria, she was melted quickly. Daphne had held Tracey as she cried, unable to give her a clear understanding of what had happened to Blaise's soul. It wasn't gone, according to Madam Pomfrey she had detected traces of it in the boy, but it seemed to be uncentered, unattached, freely roaming rather than being kept in place. Pomfrey had dubbed it the roaming soul, and despite the medi-witches many years of study, she had never seen a situation where a dementor's kiss was performed but interrupted before completion, Blaise was the subject of seemingly unventured territory.

As a student of medicine, Daphne had found the condition interesting, it was something that to the knowledge of the medical world was never seen before, and had it been someone she hadn't cared about, it would have been fascinating. But seeing it was Blaise, her friend, Daphne had never found anything less amusing. Daphne had long thought she was a bad friend despite Tracey's reassurance that she wouldn't want to have anyone else but never had she felt as awful as when she held her crying friend, wanting to, but having no idea how to console her.

Daphne had been escorted out of the hospital wing the following morning, and while Astoria was clearly happy to see her, Tracey had demanded that she stay by Blaise's side and that had left Daphne feeling especially lonely in the Slytherin Common Room. Nobody had made a sound, nobody had even turned to look at her, Draco had whispered something into the ear of another Slytherin, but Daphne didn't care about the Blonde git any longer, she had more pressing issues, Daphne returned to her desk, opening her notebook on all the medical knowledge she had read, surely, she had hoped, surely something about Blaise's condition would be in there.

Astoria's blood curse would always be important to her, but for now, at least, Astoria had time, and while Astoria was her family, so was Tracey. She glared down at her notebook as she whispered, "I will save you, Blaise, I swear it."

Monday morning had come, and with it, a new set of problems. Though she hadn't been looking for him, based on the expressions she saw from Corner, Longbottom, and Astoria, Harry was seemingly nowhere to be found. The thought of Harry had also reminded her not just of her previous life-debt, but the one she most certainly owed the Gryffindor boy now having read Skeeter's report in the Daily Prophet. Even if the prissy witch had exaggerated the relationship between her and Harry, that picture of Harry standing between her and the swarm of dementors was all she needed to confirm that to her great displeasure, she once again owed the boy.

Pulling an empty notebook from her drawer, she began to transcribe the potions notes she had promised him and slid it into her bookbag before beginning to get ready for the day. It had taken her longer than usual to perfect the Ice Queen expression as hints of sadness kept leaking in, but after nearly twenty minutes, Daphne was in uniform and had regained the cold, emotionless face that she was renowned for. She took a deep breath as she turned to face Tracey's empty bed, and while she wanted to eat her breakfast, she had one more stop to make.

As she arrived at the infirmary, she had found Tracey where she had left her, sitting motionlessly on the wooden chair beside her boyfriend's bed. Tracey's hand glided between Blaise's nimble finger, muttering something incoherent to Daphne into Blaise's ear. She leaned up against one of the support pillars in the infirmary as she spoke softly, "Any updates?"

Tracey looked up at her, and Daphne's heart broke at the redness in her friend's eyes, and the colorless tone of her friend's skin. Daphne had always considered Tracey a very pretty girl, having somewhat of the Girl Next Door kind of vibe, but at that moment, Tracey looked like death. Slowly, and without a word, Tracey shook her head revealing the answer, 'no'.

"Trace," Daphne said approaching her best friend, "He's going to be okay, Blaise is tougher than he looks, he's going to make it out of this, he will."

"How do you know?" Tracey asked sounding more defeated than Daphne had ever heard before.

"Because I'm not going to quit until I find a way to save him," Daphne said firmly, "I'm going to be the greatest medical witch to ever live one day, and I can't do that until I save him and Astoria. I won't fail, we won't fail. I don't know how, and I don't know when, but we will save him, Tracey, we will."

Tracey looked up at her, a coldness in the girl's eyes that Daphne hated, "What if he's gone for good? What if we can't find a way? I know that it sounds stupid, Blaise and I weren't even dating that long, but I've known him for so long, maybe I'm being crazy, maybe I don't know what being 'in love' is, but I do love him, Daphne, even when he's being a complete idiot, I love him. I don't know what I'm going to do if he-"

"Stop that." Daphne said firmly, "Stop talking like we're going to fail. We're not going to fail. I don't care how hard it could be, we're going to bring him back, we're going to bring him back to you." Her voice became a bit shaky as she spoke in a softer tone, "He wouldn't want this. He loved you too Tracey, and he wouldn't want to see you like this. You know that."

Tracey looked down at Blaise as Daphne approached, placing a hand on her shoulder as she spoke, "Classes start in an hour, and you have Muggle Studies first, you love Muggle Studies. Blaise wouldn't want you missing out on life because of him. I promise we'll come to visit him at lunch, but you can't allow yourself to fall apart right now."

Tracey nodded, "I know, it's just, it's just so hard."

"I know," Daphne said helping Tracey to her feet, "But I'm here for you, every step of the way."

Tracey hugged Daphne, and though Daphne wasn't really a 'hug-person' she wrapped her arms around Tracey as she heard her whisper, "Thank you, Daphne, you're a good friend."

"You were there when I need you," Daphne said, "It's only right I do the same."

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry had limped into the Great Hall looking much worse for wear. While he was currently working on forgiving himself, the near-miss of not just Blaise's life, but his and the Slytherin Girls had awoken something in Harry. For nearly two months, Harry had ignored comments of his arrogance, he had felt that it wasn't arrogant if you could back it up, but the events of the weekend prior had humbled him. He tried to smile, he tried to laugh, he planned on not giving up his marauding ways, but something had to change. Maybe not in his academics, because outside of a few classes, he was well ahead of the curve, but his training regimen needed to be adjusted.

When the time came, he needed to be ready to face down the Voldemort, he needed to be strong enough to avenge his parents, he needed to be strong enough to protect his friends and that meant that Harry, the way he was, wasn't enough. He had awoken early though awoken was subjective as Harry hadn't truly slept in days, and had found himself standing on the edge of the Black Lake, practicing his spell accuracy, reviewing his curses, hexes, and jinxes learned from the Black Grimoire, and had pushed himself to his current magical limits and beyond. Harry had been casting in the dark two hours before the sun had rose and an hour after before falling to his knees panting.

Kreacher had apparated in to inform Harry that Sirius would no longer be able to visit him in Hogwarts due to the anonymous leaker, another thing that was on his mind. At first, he had thought it was Dumbledore, as had Sirius until Harry decided that while Dumbledore was certainly shady, he wouldn't have done something to split Harry's loyalty like that, especially knowing that he would side with Sirius, it had to be someone else, but who?

Still, not having Sirius around, Harry knew he'd have to wait until the Winter Holidays to be able to sit down with Remus and Sirius and hash-out a new training method as Harry knew he needed to get stronger, much stronger if he were to even stand a chance against Voldemort. Harry didn't know how yet, but he swore to himself, he promised that when the time came, Voldemort would die at his hands. Harry wiped the sweat of his brow as he stumbled to his feet, lifting his wand and aiming at a tree that among many others had grown from the depths of the Black Lake before shouting with a slicing motion, _"Taltura!" _as a black thin wave-like line emerged from his wand, severing the tree in two and dropping it into the lake.

Harry was breathing deeply as he felt the magic coursing through his aching body, and with two words, he promised himself the only thing that mattered, "Never again."

Harry had instructed Kreacher to purchase as nearly twenty vials of Vitamix potion. Though the elf had warned him that overdosing on the potion could lead to detrimental effects on his body, it didn't matter. He needed to train, he needed to protect the people that mattered to him, and while Tonks was right that he needed to forgive himself for his past mistakes, Harry wouldn't allow himself to fail again.

He knocked back the blue vial as a burst of energy ran through his body, and though every single one of his muscles ached, Harry had made it to the Great Hall. All the eyes turned to Harry, and while his body screamed in agony from the exhaustion, Harry did his best to remain as passive looking as possible. Slowly, Harry 'walked' over towards the Gryffindor table, where as soon as he sat down, Astoria had rushed to him, hugging him tightly forcing a groan from Harry's lips, "Where have you been?" She spoke tiredly, "I haven't seen you in days."

"Sorry, Short-Stack," Harry spoke softly, "I've just been busy is all."

"With what?" Astoria spoke kindly.

A flicker of anger flashed in Harry's mind before calming himself once again, "I don't want to talk about it." Astoria's face was laced with hurt and guilt filled through Harry's chest as he spoke, "I'm sorry, Astoria, I'm just, I'm not okay right now."

"Harry," Astoria spoke softly, "Nobody blames you."

"Someone does," Harry spoke softly as he rose from the table, not currently having an appetite.

"Who?" Astoria asked gently.

"Me," Harry spoke as he turned his back on the rowdy Great Hall, ignoring the stares as he left the breakfast table following the short conversation. Harry knew Tonks was right, Harry had to forgive himself, in his mind he knew it wasn't his fault, he knew he had done everything he could, and that right there was what frustrated him, because regardless of the situation in his mind, Harry wasn't good enough when the world needed him to be, and while Harry wanted to forgive himself, he didn't quite know how.

As soon as Harry had left the Great Hall and turned the corridor that led to his first Monday class of potions with the Ravenclaws, Harry heard footsteps behind him. Not bothering to turn back, Harry simply called out, "Look Astoria, I'm sorry but I just, I need to be alone right now, at least for a little longer."

"Close Potter," The voice he recognized called out, "But wrong sister."

Harry turned to face the beautiful blonde. He faced looked as passive as ever, but her eyes betrayed her concern and pain. He stared at the Ice Queen of Slytherin softly before with defeated whisper he spoke, "Oh, hey."

"Oh, hey?" Daphne spoke, "That's all I get after being bridal carried out of Hogsmeade by you?"

"Sorry," Harry said, the memory of seeing Daphne shivering in his arm filling his mind, "This isn't really a good time, I need to-"

"Potter, stop," Daphne spoke as he watched her grab his hand and lead him towards an empty classroom, "I think we should both talk, about everything that happened."

"If it's about the picture," Harry spoke, "I can owl the Daily Prophet to take it down or something, I-"

"It's not about the picture," Daphne spoke, as she dug through her bag pulling out a notebook, "The potion notes, as promised."

"Thanks," Harry said taking the notebook from Daphne momentarily getting trapped in her eyes, "Did you need anything else?"

"Pot- Harry," Daphne spoke kindly, "You saved my life, and as I'm sure you're familiar with already, that means I owe you a-"

"No," Harry said shaking his head, "This isn't like last time Daphne, I didn't save anyone, had the Aurors not arrived when they had, we both would have been gone. If you need to pay back a debt or whatever, go write to Mad-Eye or Auror Tonks, they saved you, not me."

Harry was just about to leave, when he felt Daphne's hand slide around his wrist stopping him, "Wait," she spoke slowly, "Even if you disagree about the dementors, at the very least, you brought me back to the castle, you carried me out of danger adding only greater risk to yourself. I should at least say thank you."

"Thank me?" Harry asked exasperated, "Your friend is lying the infirmary, the status of his soul completely unknown because I wasn't quick enough to cast the Patronus Charm, and you want to thank me? You could have died, your best-friend could have died, Blaise is-"

But before Harry could continue the taste of Daphne's vanilla Chapstick was pressed against his lips before the two broke apart, his heart beating from what had just happened, it felt like electricity had rushed through Harry's body, and for a split second, Harry had felt nothing but warmth in his chest. As Daphne's lips left his, all Harry could manage to do was ask in a completely lost voice, "What was that for?"

"I needed you to shut up and let me talk, and I figured that slapping some sense into you would have been rude considering the circumstances," Daphne said seriously, "I want you to listen to me Potter, and listen close. Do you know how badly I wish I could blame you for Blaise's condition? Do you know how much better I would feel if I just had an easy conduit to aim all my anger and frustration at? I want to hate you, Potter, I want to be upset and throw the blame all at your feet, but I can't, because in my heart and mind, I know you're not responsible for this."

"I certainly feel-" Harry began but Daphne cut him off.

"I told you to let me talk, don't make me kiss you again, because I swear, I'll bite your lip off if I have to" she spoke sternly, "I don't care what your misguided 'hero-complex' is telling you. I know you're the Boy-Who-Lived, the 'Savior' of the wizarding world, but even with as arrogant as you are, you can't believe you're able to stop every bad thing from happening. You're not a god, you're not even Dumbledore, you're Harry Potter, just Harry Potter, and as much as it hurts me to see Blaise lying in the infirmary the way he is, as much as it hurts me to see Tracey in as much pain as she's in, I know that Harry Potter did everything he could, and without him, both myself and my only two friends would have suffered a fate worse than death."

"Daphne-," Harry started.

"Princess," Daphne corrected gently, a soft smile appearing on her face as Harry looked at her in confusion, "What can I say, I've gotten used to it, and you don't sound like Harry when you don't constantly use nicknames."

A smile appeared on Harry's face for the first time in days as he listened to Daphne continue, "I know that you don't know that much about me, but my dream one day is to be the greatest medical-witch to ever live. I promised myself that I would find a way to save Blaise, and I plan to honor that promise. So this mopey Potter needs to go, because with my focus being on Tracey and Blaise right now, my sister is going to need you, and I don't ever want to see you push her away like that again. It blows my mind, but she looks up to you, you make her believe the impossible is possible, and honestly, I'm hoping you'll do the same for me. Because if you can somehow survive the killing curse as a baby, then there must be a way to reverse what happened to Blaise. After all, we live in a world of magic, nothing is impossible."

Harry nodded, before worse than he ever remembered, his previous two days of fatigue washed over him in a fury dropping him to his knees. Slowly, Harry reached for his back pocket where his Vitamax potion was stored before he heard Daphne speak, "You're looking for this right?"

The blue vial now being held lightly in between Daphne's fingers, "Give that back," Harry spoke tiredly.

"Potter," Daphne spoke, "How many of these have you had in the last two days?"

"It doesn't matter," Harry said.

"It does," Daphne spoke sternly, "How many?"

"Eight? Nine? I don't know, I lost count after five," Harry said.

"These things are dangerous," Daphne spoke, "You shouldn't consume one more than twice a week at most. Are you absolutely insane?"

"The less I sleep, the fewer hours I waste, the more time I have to practice my spells," Harry spoke.

"You're such an idiot," Daphne spoke smashing the vial on the floor, "This Gryffindor-ish pride and arrogance believing you don't need something as essential as sleep is absolutely maddening. Come on, get up."

"Where are we going?" Harry asked.

"To get my potions equipment," Daphne spoke firmly, "If a teacher found out you'd been using these you could have gotten expelled. I'm going to brew some Draught of Peace and then you're going to get some actual sleep, and not this energy substitute."

"Isn't the Draught of Peace a N.E.W.T level potion?" Harry asked tiredly.

"I have a lot of experience making it," Daphne spoke quietly, "Come on, I'll miss History of Magic, but I'm sure as hell not missing Charms because of you Potter."

A tiny smile appeared on Harry's face as he leaned against Daphne who helped support his weight, "Hey Princess," Harry said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, "Thanks."

"Now we're even," Daphne said, "Flyboy."

"Also," Daphne said after a pause, "If you tell anyone that I kissed you, I'll hex your bits off." And despite the seriousness of the expression on Daphne's face, Harry couldn't help but grin.

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

As Harry left the girls lavatory where Daphne had set up her equipment to brew the draught of peace and where he was sure he had just gotten hit on by a ghost that went by the name Moaning Myrtle, Harry, while feeling better inside from Daphne's forgiveness and the taste of her vanilla Chapstick on his lips, stumbled to the Gryffindor Common Room absolutely exhausted with a promise from Daphne that she'd tell Professor McGonagall that he had fallen ill and needed rest.

The door to the boys' dormitory swung open, and Harry had expected the room to be empty and was startled to find out that Ron was still inside.

However, what startled Harry, even more, was the fact that in Ron's hand was a cage containing a rat. Exhaustedly, Harry spoke, "Did you buy another rat?"

"No," Ron said, "I bought an owl, Hagrid found Scabbers running around the forest, he brought it to me at breakfast today."

"How can you tell that's not just some random rat?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Scabbers is missing a toe on his right paw," Ron said proudly as if that answer made him some sort of magizoologist, "Same with this rat. And can't you see how happy it looks to see me again?"

Harry looked down at the rat, its worm-like tail, it's frilly whiskers, a cold and dead look in his eyes, "Yeah Ron, it looks thrilled," Harry spoke trying to keep the sarcasm out, "I'm glad you found him."

Ron nodded before with a great struggle he spoke, "Sorry about getting all mad at you over your cat. You were right, he didn't eat Scabbers."

That had surprised Harry nearly more than Daphne kissing him, from what he knew about Ron, he didn't think the idiot knew how to apologize for anything, it turns out that today was simply full of surprises, "No problem Ron." Harry responded in kind before Ron threw his last book in his bookbag.

"Well, we've gotta go," Ron said, "If we're late for potions, we might lose 1,000 points given how much Snape hates you."

Harry chuckled, it was a relatively funny statement coming from the red-head, but Harry shook his head, "I'm not making it today, I feel like shit, try to write down any information about the exam for me if you can."

"Alright," Ron said with a nod, "Sure."

Harry nodded, and as Ron bolted from the room, he collapsed onto his bed releasing an exhausted groan as Loki curled up atop his chest, demanding affection from Harry that due to his prior mental state he had not been capable of giving. As Loki purred, Harry once again saw the cat's purple eyes trailing the caged rat, but too exhausted to think any longer, Harry drifted off to sleep, his body finally relaxing as the Draught of Peace ran its course.

* * *

**A/N: Once again, sorry for the short chapter, but if I just tried to transition to the next part of this story without laying any ground-work, it would have been very jarring. Well, Harry and Daphne shared their first kiss, though I doubt it's the one either was expecting, all the same, I hope you enjoyed the Haphne moments, they are fun to write. Also, it seems the rat has returned, the question is what happens next? **

**If you enjoyed this chapter, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	19. Chapter XIX: Holiday Plans

**A/N: So, I don't really know what to say, but hitting over a thousand followers is absolutley insane. You guys are awesome and I hope to see my favorites and Reviews in the thousands soon too. But until then, please enjoy this chapter, it's a bit longer than the last one, so without further-ado, let's hop into chapter 19.**

* * *

Chapter XIX: Holiday Plans

**(Pettigrew P.O.V)**

Peter was many things, a coward, a sneak, a deserter, but one thing he was not, was a fool, though he played the part well. He was certain that the Dark Lord would emerge victoriously, the Order of the Phoenix was losing people left and right and their fate had rested on a baby not yet one year old, Peter could see the writing on the wall, he knew the end was near, and without second thought, he told the Dark Lord everything he knew.

James had been his friend, Lily had looked out for him, but none of that mattered in the face of the Dark Lord. His magic was death incarnate, and Peter upon first seeing his 'master' wondered if even Dumbledore in his old age could even stand against him. The plan was set so perfectly. Peter had become the secret keeper in private while Sirius was the one believed even by the Dark Lord until Peter had arrived to be the Potter's secret keeper.

Recognizing that the information Peter possessed was of great value to the Dark Lord he told the Dark Lord of his school-mate's cottage in Godric's Hollow and had been given the rank of Death Eater. He would be forced to bow before the Dark Lord, but to everyone else in the new world the Death Eaters would create, Peter would be royalty. Yes, James was kind to him, protected him when he was weak, but James was of pure-blood, he could have kneeled before the most frightening force on the planet, but he had chosen his side, and he had chosen wrong. Peter would not die over the man's foolishness.

However, things had gone awry, somehow Harry Potter, and infant boy had killed the Dark Lord, and the prosecution of Death Eaters who couldn't escape justice had begun. He had no name like Crabbe or Goyle, and he didn't have the resources the Malfoy's had, Peter was knowingly fucked, as it was no secret that the Secret Keeper could only give out the location willingly, meaning the imperious cure excuse was out. Thankfully, he still had a Plan B, Sirius was believed to be guilty, the ministry would arrest him, and Peter would be free to come out of hiding.

But the ministry never caught Black, Sirius had vanished, and to the distress of the wizarding world, he had taken Harry with him. But Sirius knew the truth, and if Remus would listen, which he expected the werewolf would due to their brotherly bond, Remus would know of the truth as well. The fact that Black was nowhere to be found had forced Peter to his last resort, fearing the Remus and Sirius would come after him, he returned to his home, and burned it to the ground, chopping off his finger, and faking his own death.

Eventually, his house was found, and Sirius Black was secretly assumed the murderer of Peter Pettigrew, though lacking any solid evidence, the ministry mostly kept it to themselves. Though Peter had heard whispers, the ministry believed him dead, and Sirius was the lead suspect of blame, Peter, though confined to his rat form, was free. At least he was free, until he was captured by the Weasley Family in their garden while he was digging for food. He had shifted from wizard to wizard, confined to a cage, and fed pellets instead of food, but it was not all bad, with the Weasleys, while forced to remain a rat, Peter was safe, and information of the ongoing investigation of Harry and Sirius were bountiful. Everything was going well until Potter arrived at Hogwarts with that devil of a cat.

Eventually, with the cat as cover, Peter had bitten himself hard, forcing himself to bleed and faked his own death once more as he escaped the confines of the cage and escaped into the forest. Peter had nowhere to go, no friends to rely on, and a great fear of somehow getting his magic tracked, he had decided the safest bet was to roam the Hogwarts grounds freely, even with Harry and Remus around. After all, there were thousands no millions of rats, why would one more look suspicious?

Yet, as seemed to be commonplace in Peter's life everything went wrong once more, as during the first quidditch match of the season, in a report Peter had seen in a discarded Daily Prophet paper as he dug for his next meal, a dog, a large black dog that could only have been Sirius watched his Godson fly during his first match. Peter couldn't risk it any longer, he needed to think of something, he needed to have Sirius kissed, only then would he be safe.

So, despite his unpolished state, with a wand he had stolen from a late-night straggler going on a moonlit stroll, he had removed a memory of Sirius' transformation, confounded the unsuspecting Hogsmeade civilian, and sent the anonymous tip to the minister, claiming that Black was hiding in Hogsmeade as he assumed that there was no way that Sirius would allow himself to be far away from James' son, a boy he had sworn to James he would protect with his life, it was the only location that made sense.

However, just as his owl sent, he had heard the Game Keeper, Hagrid, arriving to feed the owl and having no other option, Peter transformed once more, and was captured by the Game Keeper, who due to the man's seemingly maddening love for all animals, recognized him as the Weasley's rat. There had been some days where Hagrid had 'nursed him back to health,' but now he was festering once more in the Weasley's cage, being stared down by the purple-eyed cat, his plan to remain free unsuccessful. Once again, Peter was fucked.

* * *

**(Daphne P.O.V)**

The weeks leading up to the Christmas Break were difficult, to say the least. While Potter had kept his word and kept his mouth shut, he was still always checking in to see how she was doing, although Harry seemed to understand that constantly asking her the same question would drive her insane, so he only asked maybe once or twice a week, and for that she was thankful.

Apart from Harry, who every time Daphne saw would remind her of the slightly salty taste of his lips, things weren't going too well. Yes, Harry seemed to have been in a slightly better mood and had resumed calling her Princess which while she faked annoyance, did make her feel better. Outside of Harry, her life was currently quite grim. Daphne had spent time reviewing, reading, and theorizing of any possible way to save Blaise. Tracey was at first being rather helpful, but Daphne saw her spirits crushed when Unspeakables had arrived at the school, blocking all visitors from seeing Blaise.

Initially, Blaise's mother had petitioned to move her son to St. Mungos, but as Tracey and she both assumed, it was mostly for show. Despite being his mother, the love between Mrs. Zabini and her son was slim to none. Pomfrey had protested, however, stating that due to the unknown status of his condition, Blaise shouldn't be moved anywhere, and so Dumbledore and Fudge along with the head of the Unspeakables Saul Croaker had reached a compromise that the Unspeakables would be allowed to do all their research within the school's infirmary, cutting off all access towards their research.

The Ministry was another issue, this time on a more national stage, and while there were many critical comments over the Ministry's inability to control their dementors, a few visits from the likes of Lucius Malfoy and Dolores Umbridge had seemingly led to the retraction of most critical reviews and replaced them with sympathetic views of the Minister and his desire to see justice against Black done.

Sirius Black, he had been the target of all these dementors, and yet upon reading all the information on the man, Daphne felt like something was missing. Black was supposedly the secret keeper of the Potters and betrayed them to Voldemort during the second-wizarding war, leaving Harry the legend he is now. However, this was not Black's only alleged crime. Black was also, according to her father with connections inside the ministry, secretly accused of murdering Peter Pettigrew, a school mate and friend of James and Lily Potter by most accounts.

While no traces of Black were ever found at Pettigrew's home, the house was in shambles, burning to the ground when Aurors arrived on the scene all that was retrieved of Pettigrew was a finger, with the leading theory touted by the minister being that Black completely ripped Pettigrew to shreds. And while Daphne had to admit that everything theoretically made sense, there was one thing that was bothering her about the theory, Harry Potter.

Harry, though Daphne would never admit it out loud, was good at a lot of things; Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Dueling, Quidditch, but one thing he was not good at was hiding his feelings. The fact that Sirius Black had been on the loose and Harry was seemingly unbothered by it left Daphne confused. Every time the name was mentioned, there was no outrage, or fear, or even stress, it simply didn't seem to bother him, and that bothered her.

However, as Daphne closed the pages of _Dementors and Lethifolds the Dangers and Risks, _she fell back in her bed with a light groan turning to see Tracey who had finally gone to sleep after silently crying for more than an hour. Christmas time had always been a special time for the three of them, Daphne having no family to call her own outside of a short visit to the Manor for Astoria due to her love for her little sister, and Blaise living with a mother that forgot about the day he was even born, had made the Davis Manor their holiday home.

Eoin Davis, Tracey's father, was more of a father to Daphne than hers ever was, he had even gone so far as to tell her father that he would be more than willing to take on Daphne's tuition as the Davis family had all but adopted her. But not wanting to disgrace the family name in the public sphere, despite the lack of love between her and her birth father, Jonathan Greengrass would pay for her schooling for the sake of the public eyes. Though the kindness of Mr. Davis' gesture had not gone unoticed by her.

Now, however, the home that housed the three friends during the happiest time of the year would be a member short, and while Daphne had tried to keep her emotions in check, it was a thought that still hurt when it crossed her mind. She had hoped that the unspeakables would have made some progress, but in all honesty, she knew that the unspeakables were more interested in learning and studying the power of a displaced soul, then actually fixing the issue. They were qualified, and talent wizards, but Daphne had a sinking feeling in her chest that eventually, it would be up to her to find a way to heal Blaise, she wouldn't fail, Tracey was her sister, and her sister needed her help, she would save Blaise, she had to.

* * *

**(Neville P.O.V)**

Neville sat as he watched Harry and Michael stood before Peeves, a large smile on their faces as they spoke, "So what do you say Peeves, all of these new gags, and all you have to do is sing what we asked you to, what do you say?"

"I say," Peeves said with a laugh, "That you overpaid, I'd do this for two stinkbombs!"

Neville watched as Harry and Michael high-fived watching Peeves roam through the hall singing, "There once was a dunce name Snivillus Snape, who walked around Hogwarts with a drape for a cape. Whose nose was structure in an awful shape, and whose sneeze would change an entire landscape. There once was a dunce name Snivillus Snape, whose breath smelled like some rotten grapes, and constantly wished for a face reshape. There once was a dunce named-"

"Snape's going to know it was you two," Neville said shaking his head.

"Probably," Harry said with a shrug.

"But he won't be able to prove it," Michael said with a chuckle, "Now come on, there shouldn't be anyone near the trophy room, let's go."

Neville smiled shaking his head as he followed his two friends through the sparsely filled corridors due to the lateness of their events. Had it been for causing mischief, Neville may have abstained due to finally being in good graces with his Gran so close to Christmas with him for the first time receiving a letter of praise for his bravery during the Hogsmeade Event. But Harry and Michael weren't planning to do mischief, well, outside of their meeting with Peeves, no they were heading to their secret spot.

It was a place that outside of Fred and George, only the three of them knew about, a hidden passageway that led to a large empty room behind the tapestry of Merlin in the corridor between the Trophy Room and the Flitwick's class. It had taken a few days, but both he and Michael were glad to see Harry back to his normal self, his depressing and avoidance filled behavior had concerned the two of them deeply and while they were unsure of what had happened, they were thankful that Harry had returned. Though neither boy definitively knew what happened, Neville did have a theory as he noticed that the scowl that once befell Greengrass' face upon hearing Harry calling her princess began to seem forced, and Neville could have sworn that occasionally Daphne would watch Harry when he wasn't looking and smile.

Still, while they had recovered slightly from Hogsmeade, they had all come to a serious conclusion. There were things out there that none of them were ready for, and as Michael had said, they really didn't want to get, "Caught with their pants down again."

However, it was Corner's second statement that had truly constructed their idea, "You know Potter," Michael had said, "When you said that trouble just seems to find you, I thought you were joking, but apparently, that has more truth in it than I thought." Neville had seen to conflict on Harry's face as he was about to talk about how he understood if they didn't want to be friends anymore, but Michael had put that feeling to bed when he had said, "Guess that just means we'll have to be ready for it, you're my best-mate Potter, we're in this together, trouble and all."

Michael had astutely claimed that as Harry was more advanced than either himself and Corner at combat magic, Harry should begin teaching them some stuff, and while Harry seemed to feel like teaching spells may have been a bit out of his skill-set an encouraging nod from Astoria had changed his mind. For weeks, the three of them had searched for a place in the castle that would be perfect for their work, and it was only with the help of the twins that they had found their training room.

He, Harry, and Michael had all taken turns 'borrowing' items like practice dummies, moving targets, and sneakoscopes from empty rooms in the castle, though when Harry had told Michael that they didn't need sneakoscope, Michael had responded with the very mature answer of, "But I really, really, really, want one." To which Harry simply laughed and relented.

Harry had put a lot of work into the room, while being nowhere near as advanced in runes as Hermione, or Daphne from Neville's understanding, he had done a solid job in conjuring some containment runes, stopping any misfired spells from jumping out of their secret room, and Michael's proficiency with silencing charms had made the likelihood of getting caught almost impossible. However, if they sensed they were going to be caught, Harry had bought from Fred and George their newest invention, instant darkness powder, allowing the three of them a quick escape. Neville didn't remain uninvolved in the creation of this 'lair' as Corner had grown fond of calling it, he had grown Devil Snare around the hallway entrance that would give them enough time to escape under the cover of darkness, while the 'intruder' was being slowed by the snare.

Honestly, Neville knew it was breaking the rules, but the laughs he shared with Michael and Harry over the last few weeks had been better than any of his previous two-years at Hogwarts, and that meant more to him than a detention. Slowly, Harry approached Neville, standing by his side as the three of them began getting to work on casting spells.

"Alright Nev," Harry spoke calmly, "You got this, don't overthink it, point and cast."

"Right," Neville said with a focused voice, _"Stupefy!"_

The red bolt emerged from Neville's wand, but quickly, he shielded his eyes as he realized the spell was way off target, forcing Corner to drop to the ground to in order to avoid it hitting his head as he yelped, "Merlin, Nev! You're gonna kill me."

"Sorry," Neville said meekly, at first, he had heard no response, but eventually, Corner broke out into laughter.

"It's all good," Corner said with a chuckle, "Just remind me to be behind you when you cast."

Neville gave Michael a weak smile but soon broke out into a chuckle as well, after Harry had laughed at the awkward tension in the room. When the laughter had finally ceased, the three boys sat on the ground and after a short sigh, Harry spoke, "Look Nev, it has to be your wand, your form was perfect, and I know you have the power to produce the spell, but it's just not working with your wand."

"Yeah," Neville said glumly, "But it's my dad's wand, I don't want to lose it, even if it doesn't work for me."

"I know," Harry said placing a hand on Neville's shoulder, "But it's not like you have to throw your wand in the garbage or something, you can keep it with you, just more of a memento than a tool."

"Gran and I were actually talking about that," Neville said, "She said after the things that happened at Hogsmeade, I'm finally a wizard deserving of my own wand, I'm happy and all, but it's just hard."

Michael and Harry each placed a hand on Neville's shoulder as they spoke, "You going to see your folks for Christmas?"

Neville nodded, "It's hard to see them sometimes though, it's like they're alive, but not really."

"Do you want us to come?" Corner asked, "I mean, it's up to you, but if you want, I've got time."

"You'd do that?" Neville asked.

"'Course we would," Michael spoke, "You're our friend, right?"

"Plus," Harry said with a light smile, "Might be nice to see my Godmother, I've never met her after all."

Neville felt a swell of emotions in his chest as Harry and Corner gripped tightly on his shoulders before Neville finally spoke, "Gran actually invite you two over for the Holidays, she wants to meet my friends in person. You don't have to come if you don't-"

"Sure," Michael said, "Honestly, my dad's probably just going to rant about my potions exam grade all break even though I actually brought back mostly E's on all my subjects. I'd be happy to dip, I should probably spend Christmas day with them though."

"I might be busy the first week," Harry said, "But we could all meet up at Diagon Alley then. I'll even bring my old broom, does your house have a pitch?"

"Not really," Neville said, "But we have a huge yard."

"Good enough," Harry spoke with a nod, "Just write me and we'll hash it all out."

"Okay," Neville said with a grin as Harry rose to his feet.

"Well this break's been great and all," Harry said cracking his neck, "But the night's still young and we've got no school tomorrow. You guys up for a little bit more practice and then a sneak into the kitchens?"

"Ready when you are," Corner spoke lifting his wand.

"Right," Neville said with a nod, "I'll do what I can."

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry looked back at his friends who were waiting for him, looking out the window of the Scarlet Steam Engine, as Andromeda and Tonks had agreed it would be less suspicious if Harry was seen on the train though he was planning to leave for America once more shortly after arriving and was going to use the floo in the Hogsmeade House. However, Harry was grateful for this opportunity as he waited for the Greengrass sisters to emerge.

Thankfully, Harry hadn't been waiting long, as soon Astoria, Tracey, and Daphne had arrived at the station. While Astoria looked the happiest to be taking a break from school, Daphne looked a bit concerned, over Blaise's condition Harry assumed, and Tracey looked simply distraught. However, Daphne had looked up at him, and the briefest smile overtook her face to which Harry reciprocated before being crushed in a hug from Astoria, "You'll be safe right? And you'll write me?"

"Yes Short-Stack," Harry said with a smile, resting his hand upon his familiar spot atop Astoria's head, "And I think I'll be safe, I don't know how much trouble I could possibly get into over Christmas Break."

"Knowing you," Astoria said, "A lot."

"Fair enough," Harry said with a chuckle before reaching into his bookbag and pulling out two books, _Trials of Transfiguration _and _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_, "Oh, but that reminds me, Merry Christmas Short-Stack."

Astoria looked down at the books, and Harry could see the smiling beaming on her face. The Transfiguration Book was inspired by the fact that Astoria had wanted to succeed more in Transfiguration than any other subject, and the Fantastic Beasts book was due to the fact that Astoria had begun to find Loki more fascinating, and Harry assumed that Astoria was growing a passion for magi-zoology as a whole, considering she had spoken for hours about how cool it was that Corner had gotten to see a Hippogriff up close during a Care of Magical Creatures Class.

Astoria then looked grim as she spoke, "I um, I didn't get you anything, Hogsmeade's been closed to students and I-"

"It's fine Short-Stack," Harry said with a grin, "I don't need anything anyway." Harry then turned to Daphne, and his normal charisma shook a bit looking into her gorgeous eyes before he regained it and with a smile he spoke, "Princess, you got a second?"

"This better be good, Flyboy," Daphne said, though her tone carried a lot less snark than usual.

"I hope so," Harry said with a smirk, "It would be a shame if I disappointed her highness."

Daphne shook her head before leading Harry towards a spot out of earshot of Tracey and Astoria before Harry spoke, "How's Tracey, and how are you for that matter?"

"Awful," Daphne responded to the first question, "And I've been better, this research feels so hopeless sometimes."

"I hope that's not the sound of giving up," Harry said with a gentle smile, "Or else I'll think the Princess is getting soft and I might just stand a chance at getting a date."

"Not a chance, Flyboy," Daphne said shaking her head, "What did you need?"

Harry pulled a tiny gift basket from his pocket before expanding it with his wand and smiled at Daphne's shocked expression as she spoke, "What's all this for?"

"For you," Harry said, "Look, you helped me when I was at an all-time low, I know you said we were even, but I still felt I owed you, so here, it's not much, but I felt you deserved something."

Harry watched as Daphne looked through the assortment of sweets containing Sugar Quills, her favorite as he had learned from Astoria, A signed copy of _The Canary Trainer_ a Sherlock Holmes story published that September and something Astoria had told Harry that Daphne loved as it was her favorite muggle writings, and finally, a book on healing properties from the Black Library entitled _Medical Abnormalities and Musings,_ it was the only book on healing magic in the entire Black Library, but Harry hoped it would be of some use to Daphne.

"Harry this is-" Daphne spoke, "I don't know what to say."

"That's a first," Harry said with a smirk, "Maybe you could just kiss me again instead."

"Maybe if you hadn't been so snarky," Daphne said with a chuckle, "Looks like you missed your shot."

Harry was now forehead to forehead with Daphne, the taste of her vanilla lips resonating in his mind like an echo through a cave, but as Daphne leaned forward, she completely passed his lips and landed at his shoulder, "Merry Christmas Harry."

"You're evil, you know that?" Harry said with a chuckle.

"Shouldn't have opened your mouth," Daphne said with a smirk of her own, "Better luck next time."

"So there will be a next time?" Harry called out to which Daphne shrugged.

"The world of magic is filled with possibilities," Daphne said with a slight grin, "Though chances don't look too good Flyboy."

"Game on, Princess, game on."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so I hope this chapter possibly cleared up some of the questions I've been getting about Wormtail. In addition to that, I would like to claim that yes, Harry is aware that Peter has a rat Animagus form, but does know that Peter supposedly died. However, not everything is free knowledge for Harry, Sirius and Remus. Also, there are literally millions of rats in the world, is Harry supposed to check each and every single one. Even if it is missing a toe, how many rats do you think are alive missing toes?**

**Secondly, the Weasley's were not part of the OOTP during the first war, there is no connection between them as they are and Harry meaning that he would have no reason to suspect Peter would be hiding with a completely unknown family. **

**Finally, I did a get a review about Dumbledore and how I wasn't sure how manipulative I wanted to make him. Here's the thing, I don't think Dumbledore was a bad guy, just misled, and looked so far into the forest he didn't see any trees. Dumbledore manipulated Harry into learning legilimency because he thought it was for the greater good, now teaching Harry occlumency is for the greater good. It's not a lack of manipulation, it's an adaptation, Dumbledore will always do what is best for the Greater Good and will do so regardless of if it falls in line with or goes against people's wishes. Sometimes, it really sucks getting reviews that question the plot of my story before it is even concluded, sometimes things need to play out before bad-mouthing begins, but what can I do? **

**Anyway, all that aside, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, if you did, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	20. Chapter XX: The Winter Holiday (Part I)

**A/N: Hey everyone, sorry it's been a while since I've posted, I've been taking summer classes, and this week I had to do a lot of research for my final paper which let me say, has not been fun. But I'm going to be done with at least this first one soon which means I'll have more time to write FF again. This is the first part to a combined chapter, but I just didn't have the time to write all of Part II yet and I didn't want to shoehorn it into this chapter. With that said, sorry for the wait, and I hope you enjoy chapter twenty!**

Also, shout outs to: Theseusabhi wish you the best of luck on your med school entrance exam, my whole family are doctors so I get the struggle, you got this!

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Chapter XX: The Winter Holiday (Part I)

**(Sirius P.O.V)**

"Sirius," Harry said with a smile, and Sirius couldn't help but return one as he held his godson tightly in his arms.

"Hiya, Pup!" Sirius said, placing his hand atop Harry's head and ruffling the boy's hair, "Glad to see you home, the house has been a bit empty recently."

"I know," Harry said, "I've been thinking a lot about it these past months, I think it has to be Pettigrew, he's the only one who would know about everything. We need to catch him soon."

"I believe it's Pettigrew as well, Dumbledore wouldn't take such a risk," Sirius said in agreement, "But now is not the time for depressing thoughts, it's Christmas Break for Merlin's Sake, come on, let's get a Butterbeer, I want to hear about everything the 'New Marauders' have been getting up to."

A smile appeared on his Godson's face as together, they walked into the kitchen, taking a Butterbeer and plopping down on a pair of armchairs by the fire. Sirius listened as Harry retold all the stories from the potion explosion, to the Snivillus Song, and everything in between. Sirius' ears really perked up upon hearing of a secret lair discovered by the Twins, and Harry's gang, and he was even more impressed that it was a place that he hadn't found in his time.

Harry talked about the training they had undergone, Harry and his friends' plan to get the young Longbottom boy on a broom, and to Sirius' excitement, he had listed to Harry talk about the Blonde girl he had seen in person during the hospital visit. The way Harry talked about her reminded him so much of how James talked of Lily. The way Harry like his father had no problem throwing shots at anyone else, but how he couldn't help but gush about the Greengrass girl.

However, while Sirius knew a thing or two about not judging a person by their family, the Greengrass name troubled him. They weren't what Sirius would consider a 'Dark Family', but they certainly weren't in the light. While the Greengrass family had remained neutral during the war, their hands weren't exactly clean, as they had been 'extorted' out of money by the Death Eaters, though Jonathan Greengrass didn't really seem to mind. Sirius had faith that Harry would never fall for a blood purist, but a parent's influence can't be overlooked, at least, not entirely. Had Sirius actually be raised by his parents and not all but formally adopted when he had, Sirius was unsure what sort of man he'd be.

However, Harry brought him out of his stupor as he groaned falling back in his chair, "It was almost cruel Sirius. I had her, forehead to forehead, and then she leans past me and I didn't get a kiss. Honestly, major buzzkill, but man is she worth it, headache and all."

Sirius chuckled as he spoke, "So what are your plans for the Christmas Break? Not that I don't want you here, but Harry Potter completely disappearing for a month wouldn't go unnoticed. I imagine you'll be wanting to do something with your friends right?"

"Actually," Harry started, "Corner and I were planning to help Neville go visit his parents. Then, I don't really know, we were just going to relax at Neville's place, maybe help him get a new wand and learn to fly. Figured it would be cool if every one of us was on our house-teams, maybe we'll even go broom shopping. Honestly, I still need to figure out presents for the two of them."

"Sounds like you have quite a couple of weeks ahead of you," Sirius said grinning.

"Sirius," Harry said and Sirius could hear the guilt in his voice, "I just feel bad and I want to spend time with-"

"Don't feel bad Harry," Sirius said earnestly holding his godson's shoulder, "When I'm cleared, we'll have all the time in the world to do whatever we please, who knows, maybe we'll even go see the Quidditch World Cup if everything works out well enough. But for now Harry, you have a road in front of you that while I'll be with you every step of the way, I don't envy. You need to cut loose, have fun, if you don't, you'll end up a bitter shrewd like Andromeda."

"Watch it," Andromeda called out from the upstairs hallway.

"How did you even hear that?" Sirius asked in amazement.

"Super Hearing," Andromeda called down, "A gift all mothers get, especially when their child is clumsy."

"It's not my fault," Nymphadora called out, "Blame the genes."

"I'm not getting involved in this," Ted called out and instantly, the room filled with laughter.

"Anyways," Sirius spoke after drying his eyes from the tear of laughter, "The point is, you don't have to feel guilty, I'm not going to be here alone, and Tonks is right, you should have friends your own age. I still have here Remus after all, I'm going to be fine, go have some fun, you deserve it."

"Well," Harry said, "I'm still here for a couple of days, so I was wondering if you could help me find my old training sheets. Corner and Neville want to practice as well and-"

"Say no more," Sirius said with a smile, "You new Marauders certainly have higher aspirations than we did, that's for sure. We'll find the old lesson plans, try not to stress over it. Also, speaking of finding things, you haven't figured out where the map is, have you?"

"No," Harry spoke disappointedly, "We thought Filtch would have it, but when we snuck into his office, we didn't see it there."

"Hmm," Sirius said, "I was certain Filtch would have it, but nothing can be done now, it will show in time, it always does. For now, it's getting late, let's call it a day, tomorrow will without a doubt be eventful."

Sirius watched as Harry smiled, a grin grew across the man's face seeing how much his Godson resembled James as he grew, except for his eyes, he had his mother's eyes. Harry yawned loudly, and Sirius nodded as he yawned himself. He picked up the last of his Butterbeer, draining it before he spoke, "Goodnight Harry."

"Goodnight," Harry spoke before a pause started, "And Sirius," Harry called out, "I know I haven't ever really said it out loud, but the dementors, they showed me things, and I couldn't stop thinking about how different my life could have been without you. I just wanted to say thank you, for everything, I-"

Before Harry could even finish his sentence, Sirius had wrapped his arms tightly around his godson before he whispered, "You never have to thank me for anything Harry. You're my son, I'll love you, always."

"I love you too," Harry whispered and Sirius could have sworn if he felt tears on his shirt, as he rested his hand on the back of the boy he loved more than life itself, and silently Sirius vowed, _I will always be with you Harry, always._

* * *

**(Michael P.O.V)**

Honestly, Michael was thrilled to be back in Diagon Alley, he loved his parents, of course he did, more now than ever since he had found himself with two best friends who currently didn't have any of their own, but being at home was overwhelming, and not nearly as fun as being at Hogwarts was. Michael and his father had gotten into a fight, which wasn't unusual for him and while his mother had tried to intervene, his father had struck a nerve in him when he had called Michael a, "Lazy kid who was ungrateful for the gifts he had," and how if he had the gift of intelligence that Michael had he wouldn't have been working as a mechanic struggling to make ends meet.

Michael, however, had been irritated at being called lazy despite for the first time in his life trying to succeed at anything and responded, "I'm sorry that your life is so miserable you don't know how to be thankful for what you do have and instead try to live your life through me."

Michael had left the room and locked himself in his room, raising the temperature on his doorknob not wanting to be disturbed. Unfortunately, despite his desire to put up a silencing charm, he wanted to continue listening in on his mother and father arguing in the room below through the night. While his mother had argued that instead of berating Michael for not getting straight O's like he himself and everyone else in his family knew he was capable of, they should celebrate the fact that Michael hadn't come back with any failing grades as he normally did on his pre-Christmas exams. His father had responded that being soft on him is what made him the 'fuck-up' that he was and a firm hand was the only way to get him to succeed. While his mother seemed to be appalled at his father calling him a 'fuck-up' Michael sighed at the fact that it wasn't the first time he'd heard it from his dear old dad.

While his mother had tried to defend Michael, simply claiming that if the bar wasn't always set so high that anything but perfection was looked down upon he would do better. His father had argued that if he was capable of reaching 'near perfection' in his studies why should the bar be set lower? All Michael knew was that what he desperately wanted to do was write to Harry or Neville, beginning them to get them out of this hell-hole, but with his two friends being essential orphans, Micahel kept his mouth shut about his family issues, after all, he had one and they didn't, despite the shittiness of his family, it had to beat not having one at all, right?

And with that thought, Michael lunged out of bed and marched to his calendar, crossing out another date and smiled, his reunion with his friends was almost upon him, and finally, it had arrived. Michael couldn't even remember the last time he'd run so fast but after a week at home, he wasted no time in taking the floo over to Diagon Alley to meet up with Harry and Neville.

As he roamed the streets of Diagon Alley, knowing he was a few hours early until they were set to meet at the Leaky Cauldron, Michael couldn't resist stopping at Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop. He had entered trying to find a gift for Harry, but one issue with having not one, but two extremely wealthy friends as Michael had learned, was that buying gifts for them was impossible. However, Harry's love for mischief made buying gifts for him a bit easier as he simply stocked up on Dungbombs, Stink Pellets, Non-expolodable Ballons, and a pack of Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks. Just the thought of hiding some in the potion supply cabinet before class only to detonate them as soon as Snape opened it sent a smile brimming through his face.

Neville wasn't really as easy, I mean, he wanted a new plant obviously, but if Michael was being honest, he didn't really know what plant the Hufflepuff didn't already have. Still with his bag full of Harry's gifts tucked away in his trunk, Michael began touring the stalls of the alley, hoping to find a plant that looked interesting and was affordable, because Michael was broke.

Michael enjoyed his walk up Diagon Alley, Athena was perched happily on his shoulder, and even though he saw family after family walking through the alley, Michael was at least at the moment glad to be alone. He had finally stopped at a stall where he saw a plant he had never seen before, the vendor had called it a bubotuber, and to him, it looked more like a thick black slug than a plant, though Michael was certain that Neville didn't have it. He was down to his last galleon after the purchase was complete, but at least he could rest easy knowing he had finally completed his Christmas shopping, and as the Bubotuber was placed gently in a box before being shrunken down and stored in his trunk, he heard a voice call out, "Michael?"

He turned and walking towards him waving was a girl that instantly caused his palms to sweat. His heart thundered in his chest, as the auburn-haired beauty entered sight. She was bundled up in a grey double layered hem coat and earmuffs, and a smile rested on her face as she approached. "Hey, Red," Michael said trying to calm his nerves as the two shared a friendly hug.

"What are you doing here, are you with your mom and dad?" Susan asked kindly.

"Uh, no, they're at home," Michael said awkwardly, not wanting to get into detail, quickly transitioning to answer the first question, "I'm actually here to buy Christmas presents of Harry and Nev, kind of last minute, but I don't really do deadlines all that well," he finished with a laugh, nervously scratching the back of his dark-blue hair.

"That's sweet," Susan said kindly, "I think it's awesome that you guys included Neville in your group. I mean, friends from two houses are already pretty rare, let alone three. Plus, Neville's really been coming out of his shell a lot since he started hanging out with you. Even though you three always seem to end up in some kind of trouble. Although I've got to give it to you, that Peeves song was catchy."

"You think?" Michael said with a grin, "I wrote the lyrics," He said with a chuckle, "Harry was the one who negotiated the deal with Peeves though."

"You two are insane," Susan said with a giggle that brought a smile on her face, "Snape was so pissed. I think it bothered him even more that they couldn't confirm it was you. Even the Baron found it funny."

Michael watched as a breeze blew the red hair from Susan's face revealing her smiling expression that Michael could describe in no other way than a work of art. Her amber eyes were encapsulating and he fought the urge to stare in admiration. Susan was always very kind, she was smart, hard-working, compassionate, yes she was a bit shy and clumsy at times, but to Michael that only made her more endearing. He couldn't take it anymore and seeing that nobody else was around, he channeled his inner Potter, and with as much confidence as he could muster, he spoke, "Hey um, Red."

"Yes?" Susan asked tilting her head adorably as she listened.

"I was just wondering if you'd like to come grab a butterbeer with me at the Leaky Cauldron? On me."

Suddenly, a sadness filled Susan's eyes, and instantly, Michael readied himself for the rejection. It was coming, Michael was perceptive enough to see it from a mile away, and all he could think of at that moment was how Harry managed to deal with this every day and let it slide off him, despite the harshness of Greengrass' responses. Susan gave a small smile as she spoke, "Oh, um, I can't Michael, I'm actually here with-"

"Su!" A voice Michael recognized called out and his stomach did a sank like a rock in the ocean as Terry Boot walked into frame wearing black sweats, an off-white thermal and a thick and most likely charmed jean jacket and wrapped his arm around Susan, "Where'd you go? Here's your drink by the way." Michael watched as Terry handed Susan a large to-go cup from Rosa Lee Teabag before they locked eyes, "Oh hey Corner, what are you doing here?"

"Uh, nothing," Michael said trying to imitate Harry's lazy grin to hide the pain he was feeling in his chest, "Just last-minute Christmas shopping, you know?"

"Yeah," Terry said with a chuckle, "I just both Anthony his gift yesterday, stressful as hell really."

Michael simply nodded, "Yeah, well um, it was nice seeing you two, I think Harry and Nev are at the Leaky Cauldron already, so I'm going to head out. Merry Christmas you two."

"See ya, Corner!" Terry replied happily enough, as Michael raised his hand and waved goodbye, not wanting to turn around and see the heartbreaking image. Suddenly, Michael heard Terry yell, "Ouch!" and quickly turned around to see Susan's tea melting the snow that rested atop the ground.

"Sorry," Susan said in a overly-polite voice, a tone that instantly made Michael realize she had dropped the cup on purpose though Terry didn't seem to notice as she pulled out some knuts from her purse, "Do you think you could go and get me another one Terry, I'll pay for it this time."

"Uh, no, don't worry about it," Terry said, drying the tea stain from his sweats with his wand, "I got it, just try not to be so clumsy alright."

Susan gave him an apologetic smile before Terry once again walked away and Susan turned to face Michael once more, stopping him as she spoke, "I'm sorry Michael. It's not you, okay? I just, Terry he-"

"I get it," Michael said honestly, though he wouldn't let his face honestly portray the feeling of emotional turmoil he was feeling, "Terry's a good guy, and I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself. Thank you though, for wanting to clear things up, but we're okay Red. No hard feelings, I just need to go, okay?"

"Yeah," Susan said softly, "Okay. Merry Christmas Michael."

"Merry Christmas Susan," Michael said politely, and as he saw Terry once again leaving the teashop, he turned on his heels and left.

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Honestly, leaving Sirius behind as he apparated alongside Kreacher back to the England and the Leaky Cauldron hurt. Harry so badly wanted to walk down Diagon Alley and look through the joke shop with Sirius or salivate over whatever the next big broom would be, or go get some Ice Cream together, or really anything as long as the two were able to walk together as people and not with Sirius having to be confined to his dog form.

Seeing Sirius, flying with him, training with him, eating and laughing with him, it left Harry with a desire stronger than ever to clear his Godfather's name. He wanted Sirius to be there when he got off the Hogwarts Express, he wanted Sirius to be there when the big Quidditch games would start, he wanted Sirius to be free more than anything in the world. However, as he popped into the upper floor of the Leaky Cauldron, he saw something from the railing that concerned him.

Michael was sitting alone at the table, a butterbeer to his right completely untouched, and a look of sadness in his eyes. Not wanting to alarm his friend, Harry slowly descended down the stairs, and keeping in view of Michael, he sat across from his best-friend a concerned look on his face as he spoke, "You good man? You look like shit."

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," Michael said tiredly.

"Alright," Harry said taking the butterbeer from Michael, popping the cap off and pouring it into the two glasses on the table, "What happened?"

"Look, it's just family stuff," Michael said, "And I saw Susan and-"

"Sorry man," Harry said instantly understanding now what had happened. Harry had assumed Michael's home life wasn't great, seeing how he'd often shy away from the subject when holiday plans were being discussed only mentioning how strict his parents were about his grades, and while Harry knew it bothered him, it never would have done this to him.

"It's more than that," Michael said and once again Harry understood.

"Who?" Was all he asked.

"Boot," Michael responded taking a swig of the butterbeer.

"Didn't he know-," Harry started.

"Yeah."

"That's a low blow," Harry said taking a swig from his own glass, "Hey Tom! Can I get a double-cheeseburger please!"

"Of- of course, Mr. Potter," Tom said with a nod. Despite his presence in the Wizarding World now for so long, Harry sometimes forgot about how famous he was, and the fact he had magically appeared in Tom's bar, Harry understood the starstruck response.

However, without a move, Michael spoke, "You hate Cheeseburgers."

"True," Harry said with a nod, "But you love them."

"Why couldn't you just have been a bird Potter?" Michael said with a light chuckle.

"Woulda been too easy," Harry responded with a grin on his own, "You wanna talk about what else happened when you were at home?"

"It's nothing just," Michael said with a sigh, "It sounds stupid considering you're the Boy-Who-Lived and all, but it's just overwhelming expectations."

Harry nodded as the Cheeseburger arrived and Harry slid it over towards his friend, "Eat, and don't beat yourself up. Everything's going to work out in the end."

"You actually believe that?" Michael said with a chuckle of his own.

"I have to," Harry said honestly, "Otherwise I'd go insane. Now eat, Neville's going to be here any second now with his gran, and if he sees you this down it's going to be a forced therapy session and I don't care how sad you are we both know we don't want to sit through that."

Harry felt a smile rise to his face as Michael let out a small laugh before bitting into the burger and swallowing, "Thanks, Harry."

"'Course," Harry said with a grin, "What are friends for. And for the record, Boot and Bones aren't going to last, I give it two months max."

"You're a good friend Potter," Michael said with a genuine grin, "You're a good friend."

* * *

**(Neville P.O.V)**

Neville felt a bit nervous as he paced around the entrance to his floo network. He always felt sad or antsy on the day he'd be meeting his parents, but this time it was at an all-time high. Neville had never really had friends, he was a talentless loner for years that nobody would even spare a second glance to, but now so much had changed. Yes, of the three of them, Neville was the weakest, of that he made no illusion, but that didn't matter to him because for the first time he had friends, now he was just nervous at how they'd respond to seeing his parents.

"Neville," His gran called out, "Are you ready to go? We're picking up your friends and heading straight to St. Mungos. It's lunchtime now so you'll have the best chances of seeing your mom and dad awake."

"Y-yes Gran," Neville said as his Grandmother walked beside him, balancing her body against Neville's shoulder.

"Don't sound so nervous, I'm certain that everything will go well," Augusta Longbottom said, "There's nothing to be ashamed of Neville, you should be proud, your parents are heroes."

"I'm not ashamed," Neville responded, "I'm just nervous that things are going to change, and they're going to start feeling sorry for me instead of seeing me as their friend."

"That's not going to happen," Augusta said kindly, "And don't ask how I know, I just do."

With that, Neville nodded, a more confident smile growing on his face as his grandmother and he stepped into the emerald green flames and were swept up into the floo, landing with a thud at the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron. It seemed he had arrived right on time as he just finished watching Corner put down one of Tom's extremely large Double-Cheeseburgers, and currently saw Harry and Michael sharing a laugh over something he couldn't hear.

Neville walked over towards their table slowly, earning a smile from both Harry and Michael as Harry spoke, "Hey Nev, good to see you, how's your break been going so far."

"So far, so good," Neville said with the best smile he could muster, "Oh yes, before I forget, Michael, Harry, this is my Grandmother Augusta Longbottom."

"Right," Harry said lowering himself politely from his chair, "It's an honor to meet you Lady Longbottom."

"So much formality," Augusta said with a chuckle, "The time of Lords and Ladies has passed long ago, I mean look at me Mr. Potter, do I look like a young Lady to you."

A nervous grin appeared across Harry's face as he spoke, "Am I supposed to answer that?"

"Don't do it," Michael whispered, "It's a trap for sure."

It was quiet for a moment before Augusta laughed as well, a sound Neville hadn't heard for a long time as his gran sent him and ever-seldom smile, "You've chosen quite the pair of intelligent friends Neville, that is for certain."

"My Grandson tells me you've included him in your little group, and while it seems you three get into a fair share of mischief, Neville's exam scores have never been higher, and he's almost unrecognizable when it comes to his confidence, I suppose I have you to thank for that."

"Not really," Corner said calmly, "Neville was already bright before he met us, he mostly just keeps us from getting into too much trouble."

"Plus," Harry added, "He's a dependable friend, him volunteering to help during the dementor attack on Hogsmeade made it clear to me that he's a friend I'm lucky to have."

"Very good friends indeed," Neville heard his Grandmother whisper beneath her breath, before with a vocal presence she spoke, "Well, I'm certain I will have plenty of time to become acquainted with you two boys over the remaining Christmas Holiday, but for now, how about we head back to the manor to drop off your things before we leave for St. Mungos?"

"Sounds good to us," Michael said with a shrug, and with a brief smile from Neville, the four of them entered the emerald green flames once more, apparating back to the manor. Neville looked about nervously as he heard Michael whistle as his eyes scanned the home.

The Manor had a strong Gryffindor presence due to his family being Gryffindors for nearly a century. The floors were a beautiful and freshly polished mahogany, with the walls a roaring mixture of red and gold, that if the look in Harry's eyes meant anything showed that it looked much like the Gryffindor Common Room.

The house was furnished with assortments of light brown and red furniture, and while Neville grew up in this place, it still blew his mind how far the Manor spread exactly. Michael smiled as he spoke, "Swanky little house you got here, Nev."

"I wouldn't exactly call it little," Harry corrected as he too marveled at the sheer size of Longbottom Manor.

"Prior to selling it off for the war efforts," Augusta spoke, "The Potter Manor was around this size as well, though Frank always talked about how little James like large houses. That cottage in Godric's Hollow was everything he could have ever wanted. It's a shame what happened there." Neville sent his Gran a look showing that maybe talking about the deaths of Harry's parents wasn't the best thing to talk about and while his Gran seemed to shrug with indifference, she finally relented saying, "Well Neville, why don't you show the boys where they'll be staying. The two guest bedrooms across from yours should do."

Neville nodded, and with haste, he took off, leaving for the entrance of the guest rooms before his Gran had a chance to say anything else slightly insensitive. Harry and Michael had followed behind him and it was only once they were out of earshot did Neville whisper, "Sorry about that Harry. I'm sure she didn't mean to-"

"It's fine Nev," Harry said with a shrug, "Plus she wasn't wrong, it was a really nice Cottage, I want one like that myself one day."

Neville felt a sigh of relief come over him as he led them to their bedrooms with a smile, "So this is where you guys can stay. You can let Loki and Athena out too if you want, everything here is protected and charmed so no harm in scratches or anything like that."

"Cool," Harry said with a nod before speaking, "We'll meet you back down at the floo in five."

"Alright," Neville said kindly.

"Thanks for letting us stay here," Michael said, "This is a really cool house."

* * *

****(Neville P.O.V)****

The linoleum floors of St. Mungos had always made Neville feel uneasy, the smell of chemicals and the tears of newly administered patients echoed through the room. While it clearly wasn't intentionally designed that way, and while the medi-wizards did everything they could to make the environment better, a hospital by its very nature was a depressing place.

Neville's feet led the way, he'd walked down these halls many times before, always hoping for a miracle, but receiving nothing but silence instead. As he turned the corner, he was faced with the entrance to the wing he'd been both searching for and dreading. The Janus Thickey Ward for Irrevocable Spell Damage. He took a deep breath before turning to face the encouraging smiles of his friend and with a nod, he entered.

If there was one good thing about the ward, was that for as long as Neville had been going, the place was never packed, and it took him less than a minute before he saw the expressionless faces of his mother and father. His father's passive demeanor hadn't even shifted as Neville approached his bedside, staring into the blue eyes they shared with no results. His mother too continued to stare off into space and with a calm voice, he spoke, "Hi mom, hi dad, I just wanted to come and say Merry Christmas. Things have been, well they've been going better this year than last year that's for sure. I made friends, I haven't made a lot, but I've made two really good ones, and that's all that really matters."

"I um," Neville continued trying to keep his voice from cracking, "My grades are also getting better, and I'm not as scared of everything as I used to be. I even helped out during a dementor attack on Hogsmeade, and maybe even more impressively, I asked a girl to come with me to Hogsmeade. I mean, she said no, but still, I'm not running away from things anymore."

"I've also tried to start flying," He continued, fighting the heat of tears in his eyes, "I know that probably would make you a bit nervous mom, but I'll try to be careful. I'm even going to try out for the house team like you did, even if it is for Hufflepuff and not Gryffindor. Maybe if we win the Quidditch Cup, I'll bring in a picture to show you."

"I'm also thinking about getting a new wand," Neville said, "I've been using your old wand dad, and I've been practicing a lot, but it's just not really working out for me the way I wish it would. But I think I'm still going to carry it with me, just in case, you know? I-"

But before Neville could continue, his mother turned to him and lifted her hand. For a moment, Neville had thought the miracle he had spent every night praying would happen was about to come through, but as Neville prepared for his mother to touch his face for the first time in his memory, she simply opened her palm and dropped a gum wrapper into his lap, before leaning back into bed, resuming her active stare at the wall.

A sad, pain-ridden smile began to appear on his face, and he had become completely lost for words, simply staring at the parents he long to have so badly, but would never return. However, just before he felt the tears emerge, two hands rested on his shoulder as they took the seats next to him, "Hey," Michael said calmly.

"We're right here," Harry said with a nod before Neville watched Harry turn to his mother with a smile, "Hi auntie, well, I don't really know what you're supposed to call a godmother, but Mrs. Longbottom and Godmother seem too formal, I know you probably can't recognize me, but I'm Harry Potter, Lily's kid."

Neville watched as both Harry and Michael began telling stories about their time at Hogwarts, helping ease him back into a less emotional state, and while it took some time, Neville had even let out a small laugh at the recounting of how they had to hide in the girl's bathroom to avoid being caught after hours by Filtch, or how the three of them had served their first detention together and how Neville had been freaking out over the consequences. As Neville gave his final stare to his parents as visitation time began to come to a close, he realized that when he was around Harry and Michael, the hurt didn't feel so heavy.

* * *

**A/N: So yeah, the inspiration behind this chapter was that everyone who knows anything about Harry Potter knows Harry's struggles. While this chapter didn't cover a lot of ground, I feel it was extremely important at building the characters of Michael and Neville better. Also, speaking of Michael, let's get an F in the review, my guys had a tough break, and I really enjoyed that hospital scene. Having friends through a difficult situation can make things so much more tolerable, even if the 'thing' in question is traumatic. Overall, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until next time, Peace!**


	21. Chapter XXI: The Winter Holiday(Part II)

**Over 700 favorites, nearly 400 reviews, and over 1000 followers, you guys are fantastic. Thanks for waiting so patiently, and without further ado, let's hop into part two of the Winter Holiday Chapters!**

* * *

Chapter XXI: The Winter Holiday (Part II)

**(Michael P.O.V)**

"Nev!" Michael called as he raced towards Neville, who was mounted atop Harry's old Comet 140, "Get Big!"

With as much force as he could, he launched the Quaffle towards Neville, who had set up in front of a large tree with three large looping branches that mimicked the keeper goals well enough. With the confidence of an entire day's worth of practice, Neville quickly spun, knocking the quaffle away with the butt of the broom, saving it once again as sweat beat down his brow.

"Not bad Longbottom," Harry said as he hovered by Michael's side, "10 for 14 isn't bad at all."

"Thanks," Neville said panting, it was no surprise to either Harry or himself that Neville wasn't in the best of shape, "You guys weren't going easy on me, right?"

"Have some faith, Nev," Michael said with a chuckle, "I wouldn't be sweating this much if I had gone easy on you, you did good, especially on that old broom.

A bright smile rose on Neville's face, and it was a sight that brought a lot of relief to Michael, as the amount of pain he had seen in his friend's face at the hospital was something he had never wanted to see again. Of course, Michael hadn't gone easy on him, he knew how much he hated pity, and he knew that both Neville and Harry felt the same way. Still seeing Neville take a victory lap feeling triumphant over his show of great defense was something that brightened the day of all three of them.

If Michael was to be honest, today had been shaping up rather nicely. His mother had sent him an owl telling him she understood if Michael hadn't wanted to return for Christmas Day, and Michael instantly jumped at the opportunity to stay at Longbottom Manor for a little longer. It was helped even more from the fact that Harry had claimed he too would be staying at the Manor over the holiday. Michael felt as if he had been gifted an escape, and it was clear from the looks on Granny Longbottom's and Neville's faces that they were thrilled the manor wouldn't be so empty this time around.

Augusta Longbottom or Granny as Michael had become quite fond of calling her had been quite entertaining over the holiday. She had started with embarrassing her grandson with funny stories, things that caused Harry and him to laugh as Neville hid his face in shame, before switching over to tell the boys about her days at Hogwarts. The fact that Granny Longbottom had been so close with Professor McGonagall was a staggering development, and to hear Granny Longbottom refer to the stern professor as Minne had forced Harry into more than a few laughing fits.

More impressively, though Harry, Neville, and he were technically breaking the rules, sneaking out to their lair to practice magic, Granny Longbottom had been more supportive than any of the boys, especially Neville could have imagined. Instead of criticism, she praised the three of them for having the motivation to answer the call to action caused by their shared displeasure at their inability to act during the Hogsmeade attack and retrieved a rather large leather-bound notebook placing it on the desk with a thud.

While Michael was taken away by the sheer volume of documentation in the field of transfiguration, Harry looked simply entranced constantly muttering phrases like, "That's genius," or, "I would have never thought about using that spell for that." And honestly, Michael had to agree as he read a transfiguration spell, in regard to turning an opposing enemies wand into a rattlesnake, clearly, Granny Longbottom was no joke of a wizard.

Michael was even more impressed with the fortitude of the woman as he, Harry, and Neville, watched in complete amazement as she transfigured a stone into a living-breathing miniature dragon that could even blow flames, before transfiguring the dragon into a cookie. _Clearly, _Michael thought to himself as he marveled at the display before him, _I need to take transfiguration more seriously._

However, apart from the quidditch practice, what really made the holiday fantastic was having dueling practice with a proctor and a guide that helped Harry try and explain what he wanted. Even better, both he, Granny Longbottom, and Harry all got to visibly see the improvement of Neville's skill after he had gone to Ollivander with the two of them and purchased a 10 ¾ inch wand made of Cherry with a Unicorn Hair core.

Michael's 12" Elm wand with a Pheonix-feather core certainly didn't lack in power, but the defensive spell capability inherent to Neville's wand was nothing his charms focused wand could even begin to emulate. In fact, Neville's protego spell had been so strong that the shockwave released from Harry's stunner bouncing off it had sent the unprepared boys toppling to the ground. While now that they were better prepared for the outcome, the power placed behind the shield spell was certainly something to awe at.

As the boys descended from their brooms, Harry's stomach growled loudly as both he and Neville turned to him, "Dude," Michael said shaking his head, "How?"

"We had lunch like two hours ago," Neville said with a grin of his own.

"Flying makes me hungry," Harry protested.

"Out of curiosity," Michael said with a grin, "What doesn't make you hungry?"

"Shut up, Corner," Harry said with a chuckle, "Come on, let's get ready, I'm sure Granny A's going to need some help getting everything ready for dinner, it is Christmas Eve after all."

"Right," Michael and Neville said together, and with their brooms swung to rest along their shoulders, and a satisfied grin on their faces, "Last one in's Hippogriff Dung!" And with that, Michael bolted, quickly being tailed by Harry and Neville, a laugh never leaving his lungs.

* * *

****(Harry P.O.V)****

Christmas Day was always one of Harry's favorite holidays, and while much to Harry's displeasure, Sirius had insisted it was safer for the sake of their secrecy that Harry remain at the Longbottoms for Christmas, as Sirius suspected all ties to the Black Family would soon be suspected to more investigation due to Fudge's dementor based mistakes, Harry was glad at least he'd be spending it in the company of his two best friends, and a very terrifying old-lady.

Harry had awoken with a yawn as he rubbed the crust out of his eyes, his body feeling exhausted from the previous day of flying and spellwork. But seeing how the smell of bacon permeated the room, Harry found the motivation required to hop out of bed. As Harry left his guest room, the training schedule they had been undergoing had clearly become ingrained in his two friend's heads as the three nearly opened their bedroom doors in unison.

Harry was always a happy medium between the two boys, whereas Michael looked like he had been in the center of a tornado when he woke up, his blue hair flying everywhere. Neville, seemingly always had the time to get up early and make sure his hair was combed before leaving, despite the fact the boy was still in his sleep shirt and checkered pants. Harry was thankful his hair was cut, of course, clumps of hair still stood up, but it was nowhere near as bad as it had once been.

The three boys all gave each other a silent nod before in a flash, they bolted towards the stairway down towards the kitchen, a growling monster in Harry's stomach despite his large dinner the night prior. He leapt for the stair railing, sliding down as his two friends protested that his actions constituted cheating behind him, but in time, the three had found themselves in the Longbottom dining room, and a happier than usual Granny A was sitting there shaking her head in amusement.

"There's plenty of food for everybody," Augusta said calmly.

"Not if Harry gets there first," Michael and Neville said with a chuckle as Harry mocked offense.

The breakfast was delicious and the smell of pine and gingerbread filled the air really making the house resonate with the spirit of Christmas. It was a secret to nobody that a lot of the joy both Neville and the Elder Longbottom felt came from the fact that it was the first time in years that the house had been filled with cheer and not mourning for the loss of Neville's parents.

With breakfast devoured, the time finally came to open gifts, and while Harry admitted that he had been spoiled by Sirius, Remus, and Andromeda when it came to gifts of Christmas, despite the feeling he had of needing nothing, even he was overwhelmed by the mountain of gifts the three boys had placed in front of them.

As the three boys approached, they exchanged their own gifts with Neville receiving a very odd-looking plant from Michael and the two receiving their own Dragon-Hide holsters from Harry. Though he had insisted that his friends didn't need to buy him anything, Michael had chuckled to himself as he handed Harry a large assortment of prank gags claiming that Harry was a, "Pain in the ass to shop for." And Neville had gifted Harry a Broom Compass for long trips on his Firebolt.

The boys quickly began to sort out their presents from the mountain, and what Harry had realized was that while he had a mountain of gifts, many had come from his "fans" at the castle and while Harry was thankful for all the sweets, the thankfulness died after figuring out that many were laced with love potions thanks to Granny Longbottom. Unfortunately, there was no note, and it had made Harry realize that perhaps he needed to be more careful when regarding his "fans" or else Daphne beating him to a pulp for being an idiot may be the least of his worries.

Speaking of the Princess, Harry was very surprised to see that he had received a small parcel from her as well, and with a smile, Harry pocketed the gift wanting to open it last. Harry was also surprised to see a gift from Hermione containing a luxury eagle-feather quill for each of the boys, and that had filled him with guilt as he had not even considered purchasing anything for the caring bookworm, he'd have to remedy that at a later time, perhaps an evaluation of his new friend circle was in order.

Finally, Harry grinned as he saw a gift that read _From Padfoot, Have Fun! _Not wanting to wait any longer, Harry ripped apart the packaging revealing a sharp penknife as black as a nightmare, with a woven handle attached to the bottom with a note that said, _Because Alohomora is for sissies._ Harry smiled as he held Sirius' knife in his hand before recalling the blade, he'd seen the blade at work, and it had meant a lot to him that Sirius had gifted him one of his most prized possessions.

Tonks had gifted Harry a model firebolt that flew around the room upon command, and instantly Michael had gotten to work looking over the craftsmanship and testing the weight the broom could hold. A crazy-looking grin filled his face as he realized the broom was capable of carrying a small bag full of dung bombs, ending his evaluation with, "Snape's not going to know what hit him."

Remus had gifted Harry a Mokeskin Pouch and with the new amount of books gifted to him by Andromeda, Harry knew damn-well he would need it. Believing to have seen no other gifts for himself, Harry turned to his friend and a bright smile grew on both his face and Michael's as from the next room over, Augusta had walked in carrying a large parcel for her grandson that Harry knew could be nothing other than a broom.

The two boys watched as with trembling hands, Neville began to unwrap his gift and an audible gasp came from Michael upon seeing that Neville had just received a brand-new Cleansweep 11, the top of the line broom for a Keeper. Michael whispered at the sight of it as he said, "Dang Nev, that blows my Comet 260 out of the water. Playing against Hufflepuff next year when you make the team's going to be rough."

"You mean if I make the team?" Neville said confidently.

"No," Both Harry and Michael said, "When."

A smile appeared on the boy's face as he spoke, "Well, do you guys want to try it out?"

For a moment, Harry had forgotten about everything else before Augusta spoke, "Young man, I believe there is one more gift for you under the tree."

Harry turned and found a gift he was certain hadn't been there before. The wrapping was a strange purple haze-like color and was extremely light as Harry lifted it. Slowly, utilizing Sirius' gifted knife, he cut the tie off the gift, and instantly, the wrapping fell apart revealing a fluid-like silky, silvery material blanket. However, the gift wasn't alone, atop the silky cloth was a note that Harry read in intrigue, _Your Father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it Well. -Dumbledore_.

"What is it?" Neville asked.

"It's a gift from Dumbledore," Michael said in confusion, "I know you two spent a lot of time together, but I didn't think he'd give you a present."

"Yeah," Harry said, "Strange. He said it belonged to my father though."

"Use it well?" Michael said, "How do you use a silver blanket well?"

"Maybe it's like charmed with a warming spell?" Neville spoke with shrugged shoulders, "Try it on Harry."

Harry nodded, pulling the long blanket over his body before causing Michael to drop the chocolate he was currently eating with a thud, "Holy Crap!" Michael said in amazement, "You're freaking invisible Harry! It's an invisibility cloak!"

"They're super rare," Neville said, "I've never even seen one until today. Wow."

"Harry do you know what this means?" Michael said, "Our pranking game just went up to an 11, talk about consequence-free activities."

"I um," Neville said, "Not sure that's what Dumbledore meant by using it well, Corner. These things are super rare, and continuous use makes the magic wear off, you shouldn't use it so much."

"Sorry Corner," Harry said with a shrug, "Maybe for one of two good pranks we can use it, but if there is a chance of it wearing off, I don't want to ruin a memento from my dad."

"Yeah you're right," Michael said with a sigh, "Sorry, just got a bit excited is all."

"Oh don't worry Corner," Harry said with a grin, "I promise you that when we do use, Snape is literally not going to see us coming."

Neville shook his head as Harry and Michael high-fived in glee before finally, Harry only had one gift left to open. Slowly, he reached for his pocket and from the note hanging off the incredibly small parcel, Harry read, _Figured that every good Seeker needed one of their own -DG._

With care, Harry slowly began unwrapping the gift, revealing a small glass container with a red plush holder at the bottom holding in place a tiny golden ball that could only be a customized Golden Snitch. Just atop the fold, Harry smiled as it read _Flyboy_. He slowly opened the case, and watched with a grin as the snitch sprung to life, flying around his head before with his practiced reflexes, he captured it between his index finger and thumb, before placing it gently in his pocket as he thought to himself, _Not bad Princess, not bad._

* * *

****(Astoria P.O.V)****

Astoria had a very strong love-hate relationship with Christmas. She loved it because it was one of the few times Daphne would show up at home for a few days when they were younger, and she hated it because as was expected by Pure-Blood standards, they were required to attend or host extravagant high-society parties, something that if Astoria had to put in its most simple terms were horrendously boring.

Astoria growled even more venomously at the thought as this years party was being hosted by her least favorite group of people, the Malfoys. Though she had resented it and was considering writing to Harry to see if he could somehow get her out of it by throwing his name around, Daphne had convinced her not to stoke the fire any more than necessary. It was for that reason that Astoria found herself in front of her full-body mirror dressed in a floor-length, chiffon and lace V-neck party gown, adjusting her itchy ¾ sleeves as Daphne pulled her hair back into an honestly impressive braided knot.

Her sister too looked stunning and Astoria couldn't help but laugh as while her gown was a stormy grey, her sister was decked in a regal purple gown which happened to be Harry's favorite color. Honestly, the dress could have been any color and Harry's jaw probably would have dropped to the floor as the floral lace of Daphne's dress created an elegant overlay atop knit fabric as it shaped a sleeveless, halter bodice with darting that trough a banded waist transitioned itself into a flirty woven chiffon skater skirt that really showed of her legs. Astoria had never wished more that she had a camera to capture the look of her sister just to see Harry's reaction back at school.

With the two of them now dressed, however, their focus turned to a much less enjoyable task, surviving the night at Malfoy Manor. While Astoria had grown used to the cold shoulder of her parents, her sorting into the house of Lions had only seemed to make it worse, and she now dreaded the idea of a summer alone in the Greengrass Manor without Daphne. Their father had entered the room and with a stern face, he spoke, "Now girls, while we are there you will be polite and interact kindly with the scions of these noble houses. You will appropriately represent the Greengrass family name and with some luck, perhaps I will be able to negotiate a proper match for you, Daphne, at the party."

"No, I'm good," Daphne said with a shrug, "I'll find my own match."

"You will do as I instruct you to," Her father said coldly.

"Or what?" Daphne said with a brazen attitude that for a moment reminded her greatly of Harry when faced with unfair authority, "You'll disown me? How will I ever survive?"

"I am your father Daphne," Their father growled, "And you will show me respect."

"Respect is earned, not given," Daphne responded curtly, "And you lost all of mine years ago. So I'll make you a deal, I'll act as you wish at the party as long as you don't start interfering in my romantic affairs. Otherwise, the next headline will read Greengrass Heiress breaks the Scion of the Malfoy's nose."

"You wouldn't dare," Their father spoke, "Finding a proper match for such a disobedient woman would become completely impossible if you pulled a stunt like that."

"I happen to know a very famous man that would find that rather appealing," Daphne said which caused Astoria to grin as she thought of Harry's reaction to reading that headline. Harry would probably propose to Daphne the next day.

Her father stared at them sternly before with a sigh he spoke, "Very well, you will represent the Greengrass family responsibly and I shall not interfere with your choices. However, fail to do so, and I promise you, you will regret it. Be downstairs in five minutes."

Their father turned coat before slamming the door shut behind him leaving Astoria and Daphne alone once again as Daphne growled, "Bite me." Before Astoria realized that Daphne had caught her grinning as she spoke, "What's got you all smiley."

"Just thinking about you and Harry getting married someday," Astoria said with a shit-eating grin, "You even sounded a bit like him there."

"Potter and I aren't even together," Daphne said with a forced scowl.

"Hey," Astoria said with a shrug, "A girl can dream right?"

"Whatever," Daphne said though she playful shook her head, "Let's head downstairs before Jonathan pops a vein. Do you remember the rules."

"Get your own drink, watch your glass, never leave it unattended, stay in the view of the public, and in an emergency scream fire." Astoria recited, remembering all of her sister's warnings for these 'high-society' parties.

"Okay," Daphne said with a pleased nod, "Well, here goes nothing." The two sisters found their mother and father sitting in front of the floo, and right after her father Daphne had taken the Floo Powder, and with one last eye roll to Astoria which caused her to chuckle, her sister spoke, "Malfoy Manor!" And in a flash of emerald-green, she vanished.

Astoria too took a pinch of the Floo powder, and with one last irritated breath she spoke, "Malfoy Manor!" Before getting swept up by the emerald flames as well. The worst party of the year was set to begin, and all Astoria could think of was, _I hope Harry had a better Christmas than this._

* * *

****(Daphne P.O.V)****

The Malfoy Manor was not an unfamiliar place to Daphne. She had been subjected to many nights here in the hope that Draco and she would have created a bond that would spark into romantic interest and keep both Greengrass and Malfoy line pure. But Daphne had always hated it there despite the incredible architecture. The Malfoy home was a handsome manor house that grew out of the darkness at the end of a straight drive that was protected by a black steel gate unable to be opened by muggles due to many well-placed runes. Lights glistened in the diamond-paned downstairs windows surrounded by a magnificent courtyard decorated that was cared for to perfection. The hallways were large, dimly lit, and sumptuously decorated with beautiful accompanying green and silver carpets.

The floor was a polished stone and the drawing-room contained a long ornate table illuminated by the roaring fire beneath the marble mantelpiece surmounted by a gilded mirror. However, while the drawing-room was Daphne's favorite by far, the festivities spread from the sitting room through the houses large ballroom and into their kitchen. The house was no doubt lavish, and Daphne often felt like a princess when she was young in such a large manor, but none of that could overshadow the disgust she felt towards Malfoy even in her childish years.

Draco was boastful, and while that was expected of the heir of a powerful line, and while it wasn't always unattractive when done tastefully and with restraint like Harry did, there was a quality of Malfoy that made her even less attracted the blonde ponce, and it was the reason Daphne dreaded visiting the mansion, Draco and the Malfoy's, in general, were cruel. No, not to their guests, and most definitely not in the public eye, but to their servant, Dobby, their fury was unrestrained.

Daphne hadn't been in the manor for more than five minutes before she found himself face to face with Lady Malfoy herself the former Narcissa of House Black. Lady Malfoy was a tall, thin, and rather beautiful looking lady with very pale skin, deep blue eyes, long blonde hair, and a most chilling voice. "Ah, Ms. Greengrass," She said kindly, "It's good to see you, it's been so long, you've grown so much since the last time I saw you."

"It's good to see you as well Lady Malfoy," Daphne lied through her teeth, "Time certainly seems to have had no effect on your beauty."

Narcissa smiled, a cold and foul looking attempt at one at least as Daphne imagine she hadn't seen an authentic one in years, "Well, us ladies of Pure-Blood do have the benefits of longevity when it comes to our beauty. It was one of the first lessons I taught you when you were young after all."

Once again Daphne grit her teeth and released a fake smile. Her 'relationship' with Lady Malfoy had been another thing fabricated by her father, as in an attempt to gain favor with Lucius he had wanted Daphne to bond with Narcissa, and learn from her. Learn she did, and her main take away was to never allow herself to fall into a position of such little control of her own life. Narcissa was more of an extension now of Lucius rather than her own person, a trait common for those engaged in Pure-Blood marriages. Though marriage wasn't a thought that frequently crossed her mind, she had many other things to be concerned over, she promised herself she'd never end up like Narcissa.

The Lady of House Malfoy had taught her another valuable thing, however. The minds of men were for the most part easy to control, and there were two things that drove men to do anything. Sex and Money, while of course for her age that didn't always apply, it was a reason that Daphne did keep herself in the best shape possible. Sometimes a beautiful smile was more powerful than the wave of a wand. Daphne nodded politely, "It was a very wise lesson, Lady Malfoy."

Once again, Narcissa attempted a smile before she spoke, "Well allow me to find my son, I'm sure he'll be most pleased to see you."

"Fantastic," Daphne growled lowly before putting on the fake smile once more and following Narcissa through the halls, sending her sister one last look of warning to stay safe as she left Astoria solo. It was important Daphne played her part because while it may have been a party, the threat-level was incredibly high.

As Daphne weaved between the crowd, she saw a scene that had made her want to vomit. In the center of the dance floor, Daphne was 'graced' with the view of Parkinson aggressively trying to suck Draco's face off. Though judging by where his hands were resting, Draco didn't seem to be protesting very much. The two only broke apart when Narcissa had cleared her throat, and Daphne watched as Pansy swallowed nervously under Draco's mother's glare before scurrying off. With Pansy gone, Narcissa spoke, "Draco, the Greengrass' have arrived, it is time you perform your duties as the son of the host."

"Yes mother," Draco spoke with a nod before Narcissa left and Daphne was awkwardly dragged out on the floor for a formal dance of acknowledgment between the Greengrass Heiress and the Malfoy Scion.

"So you and Parkinson," Daphne whispered.

"Jealous Greengrass," Draco said, moving his hand lower on her back which Daphne instantly stopped, "You could always beg for me to come back."

"I'd sooner die," Daphne said through a forced smile as while the two were whispering below their breath their expressions were still viewable, "And if you don't get your hand off my ass I will hurt you."

"I wouldn't want Potter's sloppy seconds anyway," Draco said and for some reason, Daphne had a certain flicker of fury at the insult not just to her, but Harry as well, "Why you find a filthy half-breed like him worth your attention I'll never understand. His mother was a mud-blood, did you know that? It was a shame that the purity of the Potter line was soiled in such a manner."

"A witch could do far worse than Potter," Daphne returned as Draco spun her, "You, for instance."

"Careful Greengrass," Draco spoke, "I won't sit quietly and have my name tarnished regardless of the publicity. It's best you remember what happened in the common room, and Snape isn't here to save you this time."

"Trust me Malfoy," Daphne said coldly, "I haven't forgotten."

The music had broken from the slower-paced songs, and Daphne was more than thankful to break away from Malfoy's arms as she headed towards the refreshments table where she saw Astoria sitting alone. She took her drink and sat beside her sister before sighing as Astoria spoke, "That looked painful."

"It was," Daphne groaned as she downed her martini glass of McSpratts Spell-Sparkling water before turning to face Astoria, "How was your entry?"

"Better than yours," Astoria said calmly as she sipped her pumpkin juice, "Second Daughters don't get as much attention."

"Lucky," Daphne said with a sigh as she spoke, "Anyways, I've gotta go."

"Where?" Astoria asked.

"The Library," Daphne said, "The Malfoy's have a huge one, and I'm sure it's full of dark books, maybe something in there can help Blaise or-," But she stopped before finishing the second half of the statement.

"Or me," Astoria finished for her however before sighing, "Normally, I'd tell you to give it a break and try to enjoy yourself. But seeing as your alternative is dancing again with Malfoy, I'd rather be nose-deep in books too. Just be careful okay?"

"I was about to tell you the same thing," Daphne said with a grin, "Just keep your head down, we'll get through this and then, we'll be home-free."

* * *

****(Daphne P.O.V)****

The Malfoy library was large, overwhelmingly so, and if possible, it was even larger than when Daphne had first seen it. The gothic architecture had remained the same, as each row was lit by burning green candlelight, and yet, the library seemed to stretch for miles. Slowly, from her purse, Daphne retrieved her gloves to avoid fingerprint tracking or direct contact in case she wanted to open something that possibly held some sort of curse, and as she wandered through the halls, Daphne couldn't help but wonder if Draco had ever stepped foot in this library.

Her search had been going well until she touched her first book, and a seemingly silent alarm was rung as a pop filled the air. Nervously, Daphne reached for her wand in her bag before she heard a timid voice call out, "Excuse Dobby Miss, Dobby can't allow anyone in Master Malfoy's Library, Dobby needs to show you out."

Quickly, a smile appeared on her face as Daphne turned, facing the House-Elf she had spent so much time with as she kneeled to his level and faced him, "Dobby, it's me, Daphne, Daphne Greengrass."

If possible, the elf's tennis ball sized eyes widened even more as he spoke, "Miss Greeny, Dobby has missed Miss Greeny, Miss Greeny was always so nice to Dobby."

However, the bouncing of the excited elf lost Daphne's interest as she saw the bandages over Dobby's fingers, and slowly, she reached out taking the elf's hand stopping his excited bouncing, "Dobby," Daphne spoke seriously, "What happened to your hand?"

"Master Draco wanted Dobby to do something to Miss Greeny," Dobby started, "But Dobby didn't want to, Miss Greeny was always so nice to Dobby." Tears started to form in the elf's eyes as he continued, "Dobby didn't listen to his masters, so Dobby is a bad-elf. Dobby had to iron his hands."

"What did Draco ask you to do?" Daphne asked as she slowly unwrapped the House-Elf's hand readying her wand to apply whatever treatment she could to the injured creature.

"Master Draco wanted Dobby to put Love Potion in Miss Greeny's drink," Dobby said through tears, "But Dobby couldn't do that to Miss Greeny, Dobby disobeyed his master, Dobby is a bad, bad, bad elf." Quickly, Daphne stopped the elf before he began to beat himself with the book that Daphne had withdrawn from the shelf.

"Dobby," Daphne whispered, "You aren't a bad elf, you are a very good elf, I would have been very sad if I drank a love potion for Draco, you were very kind."

"Dobby did good?" Dobby asked.

"Yes Dobby," Daphne said with a smile, "And your fingers are all better now. Do you still have the potion?"

Dobby nodded as he looked at his fingers crying, "Miss Greeny is so nice to House-Elves, Dobby is so lucky to be Miss Greeny's friend. Dobby will get Miss Greeny the potion right now."

The elf popped in and out within seconds and in his hand, a bottle containing a light pink liquid filled with what could only be Amortentia. Daphne uncorked the bottle and instantly the steam of the love potion filled her mind. Daphne had been exposed to the sent of love potions before, it had once smelled like a hospital to her due to her fascination with medicine but now it smelled of a completely different scent. To her dismay, it smelled of Cedar and Green Apple. Sighing, she quickly recorked the bottle and spoke, "Has his hair been added to this already?"

"Yes, Miss Greeny," Dobby said honestly.

"Interesting," Daphne said, "Let's cause some chaos then, shall we?"

It hadn't taken long before Daphne had calculated her plan, there were so many enemies to choose from, but a truly sinister idea fell upon her as a twisted smile rose to her face, "You ever hear of the story of Narcissus, Dobby."

"No Miss Greeny," Dobby said shaking her head.

"No matter," Daphne said with a smile, "Can I ask you a favor Dobby?"

"Yes Miss Greeny," Dobby said nodding his head, "What does Miss Greeny be needing?"

"I'm looking for a book on Blood Curses or Soul Fragments," Daphne said, "If you can find either, can you bring them to me? I need to rejoin the party before people realize I'm missing?" Dobby nodded enthusiastically and just before he popped away, Daphne smiled, "You're a good elf Dobby, you deserve better than this."

* * *

****(Daphne P.O.V)****

Better than Daphne could have hoped for, she seemingly hadn't been missed at the party, and better still was that Astoria had taken great measures to stay visible in the center of the dance floor. A server had come around carrying a tray full of Party Punch, and Daphne quickly took one from the serving tray and in secret, poured the potion into the drink.

Next was phase II, act the part. Without interference, Daphne walked towards where Draco was currently talking with Nott and with no courtesy, Daphne quickly broke through the conversation, falling into Draco's lap much to his surprise as she spoke in a sultry voice, "Hi Draco."

For a moment, Draco looked shocked, and then, realizing how he believed his plan had come to fruition, he loosened up as he spoke with a satisfied grin, "Greengrass, have you changed your mind about me?"

"Of course I have," Daphne said smiling, "How could I have been so stupid in not seeing how lucky I was in having you interested in me." She then handed Draco the spiked Party Punch and with a grin, she took his, the two exchanged a pleasant smile before Daphne whispered, "Drink with me?"

Draco like a fool nodded eagerly, and the smile on Daphne's face only grew as Draco downed the spiked punch and wasting no time, Daphne removed herself from his lap as she placed down the drink she had taken from Draco and leaned in to his ear and whispered, "If you ever try to spike my drink again, this will get so much worse for you, now go find a mirror and enjoy yourself."

Draco obviously deep in a self-loving haze quickly raced to find a large window that showed his reflection. Daphne watched in amusement as Astoria walked over to her a look of concern in her eyes, "Please tell me that vomit-inducing scene was part of a plan."

"Of course it was," Daphne said with a grin, "Now sit back and enjoy, this is going to be fun."

"God, you're so hot!" Draco said with a groan as he stared at himself in the mirror, "I mean look at you, wow! I can hardly take it!"

Daphne felt Astoria peering into her with confusion as she turned to her little sister, "Draco tried to slip me a love potion, ended up spiking his drink instead. This is fascinating."

"Would you fuck me?" Draco asked his reflection, "I'd fuck me. I'd fuck me hard."

Daphne couldn't restrain her laughter as Pansy quickly rushed her boyfriend trying to get him to stop acting so strangely. However, at Pansy's touch, Draco pushed her aside and proceeded to slam his face up against the glass, entering a full-blown make-out session with himself, "You're a mad-man," Astoria said now sharing in Daphne's laughter.

Soon, Draco's mother and father appeared, Daphne then turned in the direction that Lucius was coming from and saw that his son's antics had interrupted his talk with the Minister, truly a shameful event. "Boy." Daphne heard Lucius growl, "You're making a scene. Stop this immediately."

"You can't stop our love!" Draco groaned out loudly.

"Dobby!" Lucius hissed and instantly the feeble looking elf appeared. "What is happening with my son?"

"Dobby doesn't know sir," Dobby said friendly, "Dobby isn't a doctor."

Before Lucius could even speak, Draco had begun to disrobe himself, throwing his coat onto his father's face as he began to unbuckle his belt. And in a fit of frustration, Lucius turned to Dobby, throwing Draco's coat to him. Unable to contain her joy at what had just happened, a bright smile appeared on Daphne's face as Lucius bellowed, "Get Draco to his room Dobby, now!"

But Dobby didn't move, instead, he stood there, tears of joy forming in his eyes as he spoke, "Master has presented Dobby with clothes. Dobby is free."

"What! No! You planned this, didn't you! Tell me who you planned this with right now Dobby, that's an order!" Lucius hissed.

"Dobby doesn't take orders from mean master Lucius anymore," Dobby said now standing up straight, "Dobby is a free elf!"

Daphne began to panic as she saw Lucius reaching for his wand, but before she could even react, Dobby had snapped his fingers, and with a push equivalent to a knockback jinx, Lucius went flying through the window of his Manor, sending Draco into a rage at his now shattered reflection. Daphne turned to Astoria and whispered, "Time to go."

Astoria nodded and with a silent whisper, Daphne called out, "Dobby." Instantly the elf appeared before them and Daphne whispered, "Did you get the books?"

"Dobby could only find one," Dobby said, "Dobby put it in Miss Greeny's bag."

"Thank you, Dobby," Daphne said, "One last favor, could you get us home?"

Dobby smiled and nodded, then with a pop, they apparated.

* * *

**A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter because honestly, it was so much fun to write. From the beginning of the Christmas Scene to Splinter-Cell Daphne, I found this chapter to be one of my more enjoyable ones. I loved the idea of Daphne giving Harry his own snitch like the one James would constantly keep on him to impress Lily, and I loved even more that I made Daphne smell Cedar and Green Apple, Harry's Cologne, as he new Amortentia scent. Also, Dobby was in this chapter, and who doesn't love Dobby. Plus, we got some more backstory into what Daphne's life was like before Astoria had developed her curse. Overall, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'm excited to be returning to Hogwarts next chapter. Please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review, Until Next Time, Peace!**


	22. Chapter XXII: Return to Hogwarts

**A/N: You guys are all awesome for catching my Silence of the Lambs moment from the last chapter, and while this chapter isn't going to be as long as the previous one, I hope you all find some enjoyment in it, I sure enjoyed writing it for all of you!**

* * *

Chapter XXII: Return to Hogwarts

**(Harry P.O.V)**

"Harry!" Astoria cried happily as she ran towards the boy that had become an older brother to her on Platform 9 ¾, she jumped towards him and unfortunately for the both of them, Harry seemingly was unprepared as the two toppled to the ground.

"Ouch," Harry said before releasing a chuckle, "Hey Short-Stack, how was your Christmas?"

"It was good, definitely very entertaining," Astoria said with a grin.

"I heard," Harry said with a smile, "Saw it in the Daily Prophet, I knew Draco was vain, but kissing himself in the windowpane, now that was something."

Harry grinned happily before Daphne walked in with Tracey who while still looking a bit depressed showed less grief on her face than prior to the break. Astoria climbed off Harry before he rose to his feet facing down the two girls, "Hey Tracey, how are you?"

"I'm okay," Tracey said with a nod, "I'm going to go find a cabin, I'll see you later Daph."

Slowly Harry watched the auburn-haired girl walk by before turning to Daphne, "Still bad, huh?"

"This is actually a lot of progress for her," Daphne said though her face portrayed some sadness, "She hasn't cried about him in a few weeks now." Daphne then began to dig through her bag before pulling out the book on healing magic Harry had given her prior, "Here, you can have this back now."

"You find anything?" Harry asked.

"Maybe," Daphne said slowly, "Needs more research though. This book I got from the Malfoy library may have some complimentary answers though."

"Ah yes," Harry said with a smirk, "Your trip to the Malfoy's, I heard that was eventful."

"Don't tell me you're jealous Potter?" Daphne said with a smirk.

"How couldn't I be?" Harry said with a smirk approaching the blonde, "You got to see Malfoy make a fool of himself first-hand and I wasn't there. It's hardly fair Princess, not to mention the nightmares you caused me about all the other wizards who would want such a brilliant and beautiful witch like you all for themselves, it was traumatizing."

Harry smiled as Daphne looked up at him, their noses nearly touching as a small grin appeared on her face, "I have a feeling you'll somehow survive."

The smirk on Harry's face widened as he inhaled Daphne's lemony scent before he spoke, "Very cruel Princess, where's your compassion?"

"Ah right, compassion, sorry flyboy, left it in my other pants," Daphne said with a genuine smile, one of the most beautiful things Harry had ever seen in his life.

"How did the rest of your break go?" Harry asked calmly, "Do anything on New Years?"

"Nothing really," Daphne said with a grin, "You?"

"Went out to London with Nev and Corner," Harry said with a shrug, "Though it would've been better with you to kiss in the New Year."

"You could've kissed Corner," Daphne said with a slight chuckle.

"Wouldn't have been as fun," Harry said with a chuckle before stepping closer, Daphne's breath now able to be felt on his face, "Valentines Day, come out with me. I know Hogsmeade is closed for now, but I'll plan something else. I might even say please if it helps."

"Wow," Daphne said sarcastically, "Humility, coming from you Flyboy, color me impressed."

"Very funny Princess," Harry said relishing in the closeness of their proximity, "What do you say though?"

"I can't," Daphne said honestly.

"Why?" Harry asked more confused than disappointed.

"Look, it's just not a great time," Daphne said in a tone Harry could hear the honesty ringing through, "Right now Tracey needs me and to be honest, she's more important to me than you are. I might have a lead on the Blaise situation, and I really need to focus."

A small sigh of understanding released from Harry before he smiled, "At least I got a reason this time. I'm still going to flirt with you though Princess."

"Oh, I don't doubt it. It wouldn't be Hogwarts if I didn't have the Boy-Who-Lived hounding me after all," Daphne said with a slight chuckle before getting serious, "Maybe ask me again when this is all figured out and I'll think about it."

"Is that your version of a yes?" Harry said, still enjoying the close proximity they shared.

"It's not a no," Daphne said with a light smile, "Still, don't get your hopes up Flyboy, a princess has notoriously difficult standards to live up to."

"I'll take my chances," Harry said happily as Daphne wiggled her way out of their closeness and began her walk to meet Tracey aboard the Hogwarts Express, and all Harry could do was stare at the princess as she boarded the train in a cloud of steam.

He felt an elbow jam into his side before looking down at Astoria who smiled at him, "I can't believe it, the Ice Queen might actually be melting."

"I told you," Harry said with a grin, "Persistence is key."

* * *

****(Daphne P.O.V)****

As Daphne sat across from both Tracey and Astoria in their compartment, her heart was pounding harder than it ever had before. It wasn't helped by the mischievous grin Astoria would give her and even Tracey had said, "I'm happy for you, it's been a while since I've seen you smile."

Honestly, Daphne wasn't sure what had happened when she had come face to face with Harry. He was still cocky, but it didn't feel as arrogant this time, something had changed, and it wasn't just him. The way he smelled was more enticing to Daphne, the scent of his Cedar and Green Apple cologne reminding her of the love potion she had smelled a week prior. His smile brought more warmth out of her, and she had completely forgotten to force a scowl at his calling her princess.

She had been in closer quarters with Potter before, but it had never previously been so hard to fight off the blush on her face as it was on the platform. Though Daphne was honest in what she had told Harry, she had surprised herself, for the first time she had turned Harry down and not felt happy about the power it gave her. For the first time, it almost hurt. Still, she knew she wasn't wrong, right now her friends needed her and that was more important than any confusing feelings she now had to acknowledge she had for the Gryffindor Seeker. She had wondered if he liked her gift, Daphne had certainly enjoyed his, Sherlock Holmes was her favorite book series, and she had read that book cover to cover in a day, completely enthralled by the mystery, she could only hope Harry liked hers nearly as much.

However, as she turned to look up at Tracey who was staring mindlessly through the window, her thoughts cleared once again. Harry was fascinating and fun to think about, but Tracey needed her, Blaise needed her, Astoria needed her, she couldn't fail, it wasn't an option, and with that thought, she dug through her bag finding the book that Dobby had retrieved for her from the Malfoy Library. The Lost Soul Compendium, a large encyclopedia-like book containing everything from documented Lethifold attacks to a foul creation known as Horcruxes.

While she hadn't gotten anywhere near finishing the book, it was clear that most researchers believed the soul to be a conduit or link between the heart and mind. It is what gave people feelings, and is the source of what was referred to as the epicenter of magical ability. The book contained many horrifying accounts about victims of Dementor attacks, though none seemed to fit Blaise's description. However, under the Horcrux section of the vile book, there was a piece of information, if a person was remorseful, there was a way to attach a soul back together.

While Blaise certainly hadn't created a Horcrux, Daphne felt confident that she or Tracey would notice if he had, the fact that a soul could be placed back together gave her some hope. The text described the ability to link one's mind through a Horcrux connection and that had started Daphne with a theory of her own. Perhaps a skilled legilimens could begin to piece Blaise's soul back together, but who was talented enough to do so, and who could Daphne trust. As much as she wanted to tell Tracey her theory, the idea of giving her best friend some hope only to snatch it away seemed too cruel. The sad reality was, there was a real chance Blaise might never wake up.

However, their peace and quiet was broken as the compartment door slid open, and standing before them was none other than the Pug-Faced Pain in the Ass herself, Pansy Parkinson. Adopting her Ice Queen persona once more, Daphne looked up at Pansy, her icy-blues digging into her browns as she spoke chillingly, "Are you just going to stand in the doorway, or do you have something to say?"

"I know you're responsible for what happened to Draco," Pansy said angrily, "So you listen to me bitch. Draco's mine, you lost your shot, you don't get to just have him back now because you're jealous I have him now. Using a love potion to try and attract him to you, absolutely disgusting. Although you'd probably need to slip any well-to-do Pureblood a love potion to help them overlook how close you are with Potter. Nobody wants a Lion tainted snake."

Astoria growled as if she was a lioness in the flesh, but Daphne could handle herself as she yawned, "I don't know if you're in disbelief, or stressed, or if you are actually just that stupid, but I would never slip Draco a love potion keyed to me. It wouldn't be worth the time, I sat on his lap at the party just to tease him and he completely forgot you existed. Trust me, if I wanted to take Draco from you, I could do it in an instant."

Pansy looked venomously down at Daphne, but she was no stranger to hard looks, her face remaining as blank as unused parchment as she spoke, "You see Pansy, the good news is, I don't want Draco, he's all yours, but don't get too comfortable okay, it's only a matter of time before his eyes change to a more beautiful or wealthy girl."

"I'm beautiful!" Pansy said with a scream, "And my family is wealthy."

"Sure, sure," Daphne said waving it off, "But you're what I like to call as Class 2 Pureblood. Both Abbot and Brown, their families are wealthier than yours and not to mention they are prettier than you are. Draco would drop you for any of them, no doubt, except for the small problem that Abbot and Brown are enamored with Potter, and are more in-line with magical law enforcement, not making them a great match for a Malfoy. So yeah Parkinson, you might be with Malfoy, but you'll always be Plan B. Have fun with that."

"Why, you, you-," Pansy stuttered in a fit of anger, "Just stay away from Draco!"

"Whatever," Daphne said with a yawn, and as Pansy stormed out of the compartment, the shocked expressions of Tracey and Astoria met her, "What?" Daphne asked,

"I guess," Astoria started, "Since you were more mellow this break, I guess I forgot you were the Ice Queen."

"What is it that Daddy Dearest always says," Daphne said with mock affection, "It's important to keep up appearances. Plus, I only told her the truth."

"You Miss Greengrass," Tracey said with a tiny smile, "Are dangerous."

"And don't forget it," Daphne said with a chuckle of her own before returning back to her book.

* * *

****(Michael P.O.V)****

"Dang it," Michael said in slight frustration looking at the Wizard Skittles, "You have to be cheating Harry, there's no way you could possibly have knocked down all the pins 5 times in a row."

"What can I say," Harry said wiggling his fingers, "Magic touch."

"Maybe you're just bad at the game," Neville said with a chuckle clearly pleased he had beaten Michael multiple times, "Anyway, I'll get a pack of Every-Flavored Beans and some Chocolate Cauldrons please."

"Pumpkin Pasties and a Licorice wand for me please," Harry chimed in.

"I hate you guys," Michael growled despite the fact he was the one that had organized the deal in the first place of the loser buys snacks for everyone else, he didn't expect he'd be on the losing streak of a lifetime.

"We hate you too," Harry and Neville playfully chimed back, and with that, and a small smirk on his face, Michael readied his sickles and knuts and headed towards the trolley, a list of sweets in mind.

Thankfully, the trolley wasn't too far from their cabin, and while Michael began to order, a forced smile on his face as he wasn't trying to look like a sore loser, he heard a voice that made his smile genuine, "Hi Michael."

Michael turned around, a pleasant look on his face as he spoke, "Hey Red, how was your Christmas?"

"It was good," Susan said with a grin, "Auntie Amelia had a surprisingly quiet day, so we actually got to celebrate a normal Christmas."

"That's great," Michael spoke his eyes focused on her gorgeous amber pools, "I'm happy for you, I know last year with all that awful Heir of Slytherin thing your aunt was working around the clock. I'm glad you both got a chance to relax."

The trolley witch had finished loading Michael's order into a bag which he took thankfully, paying the witch the sickles before turning back to face Susan, who looked to be a bit nervous, "So um," Michael said not exactly feeling the most confident himself, "I've got to get going, I'll see you around the castle then-"

"Can we talk?" Susan asked nervously, "About what happened at Diagon Alley."

"I mean," Michael started, "Not trying to be rude, but I don't really know what there is to talk about? You're dating Boot and there's nothing to apologize for, I meant what I said about no hard feelings Red. Terry's a good guy, he's smart, stays out of detention, it's fine-"

"It's not fine though," Susan said, "You've been my friend since first year, and you looked so hurt at Diagon Alley and I felt so guilty and angry with Boot because he told me that he knew you liked me, and I-"

"Red," Michael said slowly, "It's okay. Look, I'm upset with Terry, it hurt to see him do that, but if you like him then I'll get over it, eventually. You've been through a lot Red, and I just want you to be happy, you deserve it, and if Boot makes you happy then I'll survive." Michael released a small sigh, "I've really got to go okay? But I meant what I said, we're okay, alright? No hard feelings."

Susan just nodded slowly, and with one last small smile, Michael departed the corridor on his way back to his cabin where his friends were waiting. Had he meant what he said, most of it at least. Susan had seemingly suffered a lot of misfortune, and Michael did want to see her happy, but he didn't want to see her with Boot, he wanted to see her smiling up at him, not viewing it from afar. Still, he sighed as he recalled his talk with his two friends about his feelings, and it had actually been Granny Longbottom that had given him some comforting advice, time has a tendency for working things out.

* * *

**(Neville P.O.V)**

Neville stretched out his limbs after leaving the train, a yawn leaving his mouth. Of the three of them, Neville was the most patient by far, but still, long train rides were never fun. As the three boys walked towards the carriages, Neville couldn't help but reach out and rest his hand on Michael's shoulder as he watched Susan, Hannah, Terry, and Anthony all walk-out of the train, Terry's arm around Susan's neck, though the red-haired girl did seem to look slightly troubled.

"Hang in there," Harry had spoken to their blue-haired friend, "Time, remember."

"Right," Michael said with a heavy sigh, "I'll be fine guys, thanks though, let's go find a carriage, don't want to be stuck with some weirdos after all."

"Sure," Neville said with a shrug, "Like we're the epitome of normal."

"Whatever Longbottom," Michael said with a chuckle.

The three boys had found what seemed to be an empty carriage, but as they loaded in, they quickly realized they weren't alone, and instantly, Neville's heart began to beat a little faster. Since his first year, Neville had been completely enamored with Hannah Abbot, he could hardly have a conversation with the blonde without stuttering like an idiot. But now, things had been different, and it had been a slow change over time. It had started the day of the first Hogsmeade weekend when he had invited Hermione Granger over to their table.

Yes, Michael was 100% correct, she was a little bossy, a little snooty, and an extreme know-it-all, but to Neville, Hermione Granger was simply brilliant. Outside of Harry and Michael, Hermione was one of the few people that believed in him, and while Harry was a prodigy in certain schools of magic, specifically combat magic, and with Corner being one of the smartest people alive in his opinion, Neville had spent a fair amount of time alone in the library with Hermione preparing for the exams.

The girl could rant for hours if not interrupted, and she was certainly very opinionated, but for the reserved Neville, he didn't so much mind a very headstrong girl like Hermione. Yes, obviously she butted heads with people like Michael from time to time, but Neville had never felt overwhelmed by Hermione's presence and for the most part, enjoyed it.

Which explained why his heart was beating quickly as he took a seat across from the bushy-haired bookworm with Corner next to him and Harry next to her. It was becoming obvious to Neville, that perhaps his feelings towards Hermione had escalated a bit beyond friends and study-mates, to something more complicated. As Neville soon realized that he was paying more attention to the waviness of her curly hair, and the chocolate brown color of her eyes. He took joy in the scent of Hermione's lavender-scented shampoo and the minty-fresh whiteness of her teeth. Without a doubt, Hermione's mind was no longer the only thing about the witch that interested him.

"H-hello, Hermione," Neville said trying to clear the nerves from his voice.

Hermione looked up from her rather large book, "Sorry, I guess I got caught up in some light reading, I didn't even realize you three had entered. How was your Christmas?"

Neville grinned at Harry and Michael's lost expression as they looked at the dictionary sized text in Hermione's lap, "That's light reading? Blimey Hermione, you're a maniac."

Neville quickly elbowed Corner who hunched over in pain, "Ow, what the-"

"We did, thank you for the quills, you didn't have to get us anything, we all feel bad that we didn't-"

"No, it's okay really," Hermione said waving it off, "I didn't really plan on receiving anything, it's just, you three actually gave me some people to hang around with, normally I'm just in the library by myself so it was nice to have some company. I just wanted to say thank you."

"You could sit with us more often if you'd like," Harry said with a shrug.

"No thanks," Hermione said with a chuckle, "I want to make it through my seven years without getting expelled and it's sort of guilty-by-association with you three. Thanks for the offer though."

Michael laughed, "Very Ravenclaw of you."

Hermione simply smiled before placing her bookmark in the binding of her current page before closing it with a thud. Interestingly enough, the book seemed to be in a language unfamiliar to Neville and cautiously he asked, "What are you even reading, 'Mione?"

Neville instantly wanted to slap himself for using a nickname, but thankfully, Hermione didn't seem to mind it, instead, she gave him a small before answering, "It's a book on ancient runes. I've been seeing Greengrass in the library, constantly studying, and I'll be dammed if I'm going to lose to her in Runes. She's already better than me in arithmancy, I can't allow her to beat me in two subjects."

"Um, Hermione," Harry said gently, "I think you can take a breather, she's not in the library studying for Ancient Runes."

"Then what is she studying for?" Hermione asked now very intrigued.

"I- um- I don't think it's my place to say," Harry said now realizing his position facing down a very intrigued Hermione, "Just wanted you to know it's not related."

"Fine," Hermione said with a sigh, "I'll just figure it out myself then."

"Are all Ravenclaws this mental," Harry said looking over to Michael.

"Most of them," Michael said with a shrug.

And while the two boys laughed, Neville could only smile as he saw Hermione enter one of her deep thinking trance-like state. Her nimble fingers tapped against the cover of her book, and clearly, this rivalry between her and Greengrass, while friendly in nature, was more serious for Hermione than he had first believed.

However, those thoughts were for the moment seemingly pushed out of the mind of all four passengers as in the distance, the light of the castle walls began to come into view, the sounds of splashing in the Black Lake echoed through the air, and all Neville could do was nod his head in agreement to Corner's sigh, "It's good to be home."

* * *

**A/N: So short and sweet transition chapter of the kiddos getting back to school. We got to see a little bit of everybody and rest assured, the pace of the story is going to speed up quite a bit now moving forward. I'm really getting excited to write these next couple of chapters, but with the Haphne Moment, Daphne having a lead on Blaise, Corner and Susan, plus Neville and Hermione, things are certainly shifting ever so slowly. If you enjoyed this chapter, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	23. Chapter XXIII: Ambush

Chapter XXIII: Ambush

**(Neville P.O.V)**

Being back at the castle was something that Neville enjoyed immensely. However, he was beginning to think he had enjoyed it a bit too much as not only had he woken up late, he had woken up quite ill. Neville turned to his alarm and groaned as he realized that he had missed not only breakfast, but Defense Against the Dark Arts as well. His mood was improved however upon realizing that he wasn't late for herbology and though his stomach was killing him, he raced for the Greenhouse looking rather shabby.

His luck seemed to grow even more, as once he had finished explaining his plight to his Head of House and Herbology Professor, she had given him two options, he could head to the hospital wing, or if he'd like, due to the fact the plant currently being studied was something that Neville had already studied extensively, he could head to the current DADA class to make up the lesson he missed. Knowing his grade of DADA was only in the acceptable range, he quickly made his decision and raced towards the third-floor serpentine corridor.

As he opened the door, he felt a bit embarrassed by his abrupt entrance, as Professor Lupin had just begun taking roll. "Ah, Mr. Longbottom, it seems you're running a bit late, specifically an hour late."

"Yes, Professor, sorry about that," Neville nodded, "I overslept, but Professor Sprout gave me permission to make up the class I missed now if that's okay?"

Professor Lupin nodded, "If Professor Sprout is okay with it, I see no reason to object. Find a seat, we're just beginning."

Neville nodded, and while the class was currently filled with Slytherin's most of whom had never shown him a lick of kindness despite his 'pure-blood' status, he did find some solace in the fact that the class was split with the Gryffindors, and sitting at the front of the class with his patented lazy-grin was Harry Potter. The seat next to Harry was currently empty as many students were too shy to sit in the front of the class directly after returning from break, but feeling confident from their winter break full of practice, Neville sat beside one of his best friends. It had taken Harry all of two seconds after Neville had sat before he whispered, "Jeez Nev, you look like crap. What happened?"

"I think I ate one too many Cauldron Cakes," Neville groaned, "If I didn't know better I'd say it was Corner's master plan to get back at me for beating him on the train."

Harry chuckled, but before he could respond, Professor Lupin continued, "Alright Class, so at the beginning of this year, I asked you all to help in reviewing proper dueling etiquette. Today, as it is the first day back from break, I believe it would be an opportune time to review what I consider to be one of the most important spells for defense in any wizard's arsenal, the disarming charm."

The class groaned as Lupin smiled, "I understand that many of you wish to continue progressing in your studies, and, for the most part, many of you showed great aptitude when demonstrating the Boggart-Banishing Spell, but reviewing the fundamentals is necessary for every great wizard."

Neville couldn't have agreed more, he had spent the entirety of winter-break since receiving his new wand in reviewing the fundamentals, and it had helped grow his confidence in his magical ability immensely, and while Harry, who knew every aspect of the disarming charm like the back of his hand, look a bit bored, he didn't say a word simply shrugging his shoulders in agreement.

However, others were not as passive in their objections as Theodore Nott stood up inraged, "Why do you insist on teaching us things we've already mastered. If I wanted to review I'd have my father hire a tutor!"

Professor Lupin didn't flinch, in fact, he didn't even move. Instead, all he did was cock his eyes brow before allowing a small smile to line his face, "Mastered you say? Very well, Mr. Nott, a mastered spell is one that can be done without incantation and nearly on instinct. Please come to the front of the class."

Slowly, Neville watched as Nott with a scowl walked to the front, though Neville did realize there was a distinct lack of eye contact between the Slytherin and Harry before Nott was now standing at the front of the classroom, "Mr. Nott," Professor Lupin spoke kindly, "You claim to have mastered the disarming charm, I would like to see you prove it. I will not move, I will not cast, and I will in no way defend myself, circumstances that you will never see when faced with real danger. However, if you silently manage to cast the spell you have 'mastered' I will move on without review."

"Whatever, if you're not going to try and move this will be a breeze," Nott said as he lifted his wand.

The entirety of the class seemed to hold their breath, except for Harry who simply leaned back in his chair bored and uninterested. It was clear to everyone that Harry and Professor Lupin shared a close connection, so Harry's lack of concern for the man was quite telling. In intrigue, Neville watched as Nott waved his wand in the flick-like motion, and yet nothing happened. Professor Lupin stood up there, if possible even more relaxed than Harry as Theodore Nott flicked and flicked his wand with no results. Finally, after an embarrassing two-minute display, the class watched in awe as with a swiftness that Neville's eyes almost couldn't follow, Professor Lupin flicked his wand and Nott's popped into his hand.

Professor Lupin cleared his throat as he spoke, "If anyone else among you would like to demonstrate their mastery of the disarming spell, they are welcome to come up to the front and try. For the rest of you," A wave of the Professor's wand banished the desks to the sides of the room, clearing the space in the center of the class, "Partner up and begin practicing. Silent casting is not required though you are certainly welcome to try it."

Neville felt relieved as Harry turned to him with a grin as he spoke, "Ready?"

Neville nodded and together they made their way to the center of the class. Slowly, Harry lifted his wand and Neville did the same as the two boys began to circle each other. With alacrity that Neville had never seen before from Harry, he juked backward in a counter-clockwise motion momentarily causing Neville to lose him before his wand had been popped out of his hand at Harry's word, "_Expelliarmus." _

"How did you do that?" Neville asked amazed at Harry's vanishing tactic.

"Simple optical illusion," Harry said, "I forced you to focus on what was in front of you, following me with your eyes, then with a swift step back, your eyes lost focus of me, giving me just enough time to land the spell. Don't feel too bad though, it takes time to master the exact timing."

Harry tossed the wand back to him and with a determined look on his face, Neville nodded as Harry spoke, "Remember, it's just a small flick, don't overdo or you'll lose time."

Once again, the two began to circle, and this time there was no trick from Harry, just a simple spell cast that Neville had just managed to dodge before with a flick of his own, he spoke, "_Expelliarmus." _

The entire classroom watched in shock as Harry's wand flew into his hands, and while some watched in silent awe, others began to laugh. Of course, he knew Harry was holding back, the lack of movement that Harry displayed this time around was proof of that, and yet Harry still nodded as he spoke, "Nice one, Nev. That was a pretty fast flick, good aim, you're definitely getting better."

Neville tossed the wand back to Harry trying to ignore the chuckles aimed at the two of them, with phrases like, "Did I just see Longbottom disarm Potter? What a joke," and "Wow, Pity Potter let Neville get a win, it's almost sad really." However, Harry looked undisturbed as he spoke, "Just stay focused Nev, this isn't about anyone else."

Neville nodded and just before they were about to continue, a snarky voice that could only belong to Malfoy spoke, "Absolutely pathetic Potter. You strut around this castle like you're some hotshot wizard, but you just got disarmed by a squib. Everyone knows Longbottom is more of a danger to himself than others with a wand, I can't believe people think you're a talented wizard."

"Don't you have a window to kiss somewhere Malfoy?" Harry said with a sigh, "And for the record, Neville could take you down in a heartbeat. He's a powerful wizard, unlike a certain self-obsessed idiot."

"How dare you even think about the idea that a blood traitorous squib could ever defeat me," Malfoy said angrily.

"Think about?" Harry asked, "This isn't a question, I know it to be a fact. Neville is a better wizard than you are. If you two dueled right here, I bet my place on the quidditch team that he'd beat you."

"Is that an honest wager Potter?" Draco said sinisterly.

"Don't do it, Harry," Ron called out, "We might actually have a chance to win the Quidditch cup, Neville's a better bloke than Malfoy no doubt, but he can't do magic."

"Relax," Harry called back to the worried crowd, "Neville, you want in?"

"I- I um," Neville said struggling. He wanted to do it, he wanted to show Malfoy, to show everyone that he wasn't the squib everyone had tormented as for the past two years. He wanted to show everyone that he was a powerful wizard like his parents and grandmother. But now, the stakes were high, and his nerves were on edge. He didn't want to be responsible for the hate that could fall on his friend's shoulders if he failed, "I don't know Harry, what if I fail?"

"You won't fail," Harry said as certain as he was that rain was wet.

"How do you know?" Neville asked still a bit worried.

"Because unlike the Malfoy's," Harry said staring down the Blonde that had led much of his torment the past two years, "You don't come from a family of cowards."

The entire class gasped at the insult, while some reveled in the animosity between Harry and Draco, many other Gryffindors, like Ron were beginning to get worried about losing their chances at both the Quidditch and House Cup. The pitiful looks of the class, the look of pure lacking belief in Neville had set a fire in him. He wasn't the weak timid boy that Hogwarts had made him out to be this past couple of years, he was better now, he had a wand, he had his friends, and he was done running away. He swallowed hard as he nodded, "Okay, I'll do it."

"Atta boy!" Harry said with a smirk before turning to Remus who seemed to look down at Neville with a nod. While not as favorited by Professor Lupin as he was with Sprout. The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had always been very kind and supportive of him, and now, Neville almost saw what could have been a hint of pride at Neville wanting to defend himself.

However, still needing to be the teacher, he sighed, "Very well, Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Malfoy, you two will be each other's partners for this exercise. I've hope you've learned your lesson from the last time Mr. Malfoy. This is a disarming practice only, any more, and I will intervene."

While Malfoy's nod was laced with a sneer, Neville's was genuine, he didn't need to curse Malfoy into oblivion to prove his point, disarming would be more than enough. And opposed to Harry who had a far larger amount of offensive spells, Neville didn't like fighting, he'd prefer to settle things with words if possible, his defensive spells were a strong priority for him, but in a situation like this, he knew he needed to be prepared.

As he and Malfoy circled each other, Neville couldn't help but feel a sting of irritation at the concerned look on the faces of the Gryffindor students. If he lost to Harry or Michael, he could accept that, but he'd never cower to Malfoy, never again. Malfoy was fast with a wand as he bellowed, "_Expelliarmus." _But Neville had seen faster, he had spent the winter holiday working not just on his reflexes on the quidditch pitch, but dueling with both Harry and Corner who were no slouches when it came to swift spell casting. Quickly, Neville turned his body sideways, watching as the bolt of red jetted by him. He through his peripheral vision, he saw Harry smirking as he once again dodged another red bolt.

"What's the matter Malfoy," Neville said adopting some of the snark the exuded from Harry and Corner when faced in combative situations, "I thought I was just a fat squib? Don't tell me your aim is that bad?"

"_Expelliarmus!" _Draco shouted in frustration, though this time, Neville quickly shifted his head a confident smile breaking through his face as the bolt whizzed right passed his head.

"My turn," Neville said now lifting his wand, "_Expelliarmus!" _Instantly, and exactly on target the red bolt stuck Malfoy's chest sending his wand flying in Neville's hand as Malfoy toppled to the ground. The crowd of students looked down at the Prince of Slytherin in disbelief, before a roaring cheer was heard from the Gryffindor Students and a proud smile fell over his face, his hard work had paid off as he walked towards the fallen snake, "It's over Malfoy, you're done bullying me, clear?"

Neville looked down at his once tormentor, his foe's wand still in his hand before dropping it atop the snake. Despite Draco's glares, Neville didn't relent, yes, he wasn't a Gryffindor, but he had friends and those friends had shown him his self-worth. His time of cowering under those he once believed stronger than he was done. His trance was broken when he felt a calm hand land on his shoulder and squeeze it lightly. He turned to find Harry looking down at Malfoy himself before looking at Neville, "Nice one, Nev. Not bad at all."

"Thanks," Neville said with a small smile, "My flick was still too long though."

"We'll work on it," Harry said easily, "We've got time."

* * *

****(Harry P.O.V)****

"Focus," Dumbledore spoke, as with exhaustion Harry lifted his wand once more, "When practicing legilimency, your wand must be like a scalpel, sharp and precise, brute force is ineffective and gives away your position when invading one's mind."

"I know," Harry growled, irritated at the elderly man. It wasn't that Harry was failing, he was following all of the instructions to the T, but the old wizard's mind was an impenetrable fortress of secrecy. Eight times Harry had tried to enter the headmaster's mind and eight times he'd been repelled. Legilimency was the art he was far better at, and unfortunately was the one that was practiced less do to the overwhelming need to properly learn to deflect attacks. But as Dumbledore had given him the option to choose what they would focus on for his first day back, he knew he had to make good use of the time. Harry took a deep breath, and with a calculated tone, he muttered, "_Legilimens."_

Once again, Harry found himself in the daunting library that was Dumbledore's mind. The task was easy in concept, find, retrieve and read the red-book entitled, _Objective_ in his mind. In practice, however, the task had alluded him many times. Harry readied his wand, as the pitch darkness of Dumbledore's occlumency set in once more as he whispered, "_Lumos."_

Cautiously, Harry roamed the dark corridors of Dumbledore's mind before a gale of red and gold feathers swooped by his face dropping him to the ground, _Shit,_ Harry thought to himself, _His mind is so bizarre._ Each step he took, Harry felt his heart beating in his chest, Dumbledore was a renowned wizard and he had faced, apparations, pit-falls, trap-doors, burning books, and just recently razor-sharp feathers.

However, if Dumbledore's palace of trickery wasn't frightening enough, it was about to get worse as Harry began hearing footsteps. He had read that skilled occlumens, far beyond his level, had the ability to not only conjure elaborate mental fortresses, but apparitions to intimidate or fight their intruders. And as Harry turned around, he certainly felt intimidated. A middle-aged man appeared before him, with light blonde hair, cold blue eyes, and a thin white mustache. Harry gripped his wrist to keep himself from involuntary trembling. "Grindelwald," Harry whispered in both shock and confusion.

Harry was unsure why the figure frightened him. Yes, Harry had learned about the great battle between Gellert Grindelwald and Dumbledore, there was certainly no shortage of books on the man, and Harry while never wanting to fight one, had found war as a concept interesting. Battle tactics, propaganda campaigns, every aspect of war was both horrible yet fascinating, and the atrocities of Grindelwald was very well documented. But regardless the man before him was an illusion of Dumbledore's mind, and yet, his hand wouldn't stop shaking.

_Get a grip Potter,_ Harry thought to himself, _If Voldemort returns I'm going to have to face this for real. I wanted this, I want to fight him, I can't-,_ But before Harry even had a chance to finish his thoughts, a bolt from Grindelwald's wand sent Harry to the ground in order to avoid it. Harry smiled slightly, his mind might have still been coping with how to handle seeing such an imposing Dark Wizard, but his body seemed to remember how to move. Instinct was Harry's best bet.

Though his heart was still thrashing about in his chest, Harry turned to face the legendary wizard with all the courage he could muster, "_Tenimago!" _Harry shouted as the fountain of black flames burst forth from his wand tip.

However, to Harry's horror, Grindelwald simply brushed off the forever burning flames like they were cobwebs. Harry cursed, _Right, mind dimension, not reality, different rules. _A flick of Grindelwald's wand lifted myriad of the incredibly hot books in the air, and Harry groaned, "Aw, Come On!" As the mountain of 4000-degree books began flying towards him.

Using all of his seeker skills and reflexes, Harry managed to avoid the books, ducking and weaving as the onslaught seemed to continue without pause. A red-book, the one he'd been looking for flew right by his face, and without hesitation, he reached as far as he could, but the book was now way out of reach. He didn't even have time to mourn his loss, as before he could even rationalize what happened, a burning pain struck Harry's core, sending his to the ground with a groan as Grindelwald slowly approached.

Harry clenched his fist before jumping from the presence of a hand on his shoulder. Suddenly, the apparition of Grindelwald disappeared and in a kind Grandfatherly-tone, Dumbledore spoke, "Found you."

Harry put up little resistant as now for the ninth time, Harry was repelled from the headmaster's mind, falling into his chair with a thud. "What the hell was that?" Harry asked still panting from the exhaustion.

"My fail-safe in case of a skilled legilimens making it that far into my mind without resistance," Dumbledore said calmly, "A mental guardian or patrolman if you will." Dumbledore then popped a sherbet lemon into his mouth before asking calmly, "Now Harry, do you know why you failed to retrieve the specific memory you were looking for?"

"Probably because I came face to face with the second greatest dark wizard of all time in your insane mind fortress," Harry said his heart still pounding in his chest like a jackhammer.

"No," Dumbledore said, "It was because you lost focus."

"No," Harry repeated, "It's because I saw Grindelwald in your head."

"And why did you engage in combat with an opponent you could not beat?" Dumbledore said pushing back against Harry's normal snark. Harry clenched his fist in anger as he sighed and Dumbledore continued, "Harry, you are a talented wizard, you have an aptitude for legilimency, and your understanding of theory and practical uses of both offensive and defensive magic are far beyond what a boy your age should be capable of. However, you lack an essential part of understanding combat."

"You don't know when it is best to retreat," Dumbledore spoke, "You rely on your natural talent, bravery, and combative creativity to pull through when you need it. But sometimes, that is not enough, sometimes, missions require plans, and those plans must be adhered to, obediently."

Harry turned away, he never liked being talked down too, even though Dumbledore was doing it in a kind way. Even worse, however, Harry didn't like failing and certainly didn't like revisiting constant failures. But the worst offense of it all was that Dumbledore was right. "You had a mission Harry," Dumbledore spoke calmly, "Dive into my mind and retrieve the red-book, your mission did not involve entering combat with anyone, let alone an apparition of a wizard with far more experience than you. If Voldemort returns before we can stop him, war will break out."

"Though I hope to be a calming force," Dumbledore continued, "You are the Boy-Who-Lived, the one who first defeated Voldemort. The people will turn to you for leadership, and you need to learn to tame your recklessness, or it will get people killed."

Harry swallowed hard as he unclenched his fist, "Your right, but I can't change who I am, I act on instinct, it's in how I fly, how I train, how I fight, I'm not a great planner or a great tactician, I'm just Harry."

"And just Harry is certainly a very good young wizard," Dumbledore said with a nod, "But it is necessary that he learn to take guidance when needed, and for him to understand where his strengths and weakness are and make allies of people who can compensate for them. Something you have done quite well despite the fact you may not acknowledge it."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked tiredly rubbing his head.

"Your friends, Mr. Corner and Mr. Longbottom," Dumbledore spoke, "Mr. Corner is an exceptionally bright young man, though his marks suggest otherwise, he has a strength in strategy and his intelligence is a valuable asset to you. Mr. Longbottom while being fairly bright, and fairly strong is important as well. He is a calm and patient boy, patience being something you and Mr. Corner seem to lack. It is this patience and ability to calmly assess a situation that will prove instrumental to you should the worst arise," Dumbledore finished kindly, "Cherish your friends Harry, friendship is a magic second only to love."

Harry nodded tiredly, "Well, I have no plans on leaving them behind so at least I have that covered. Doesn't help me very much when I'm alone in your mind though."

"No," Dumbledore said with a nod, "Though spending time with them will eventually allow some of their charms to rub on to you and vice-versa. For now, however, it is getting late and the Great Hall will be in great debate if we do not arrive in time for dinner," Dumbledore lifted a small vial of liquid and handed it to him, "Here my boy, drink."

"What is it?" Harry asked a bit perturbed at the amber-colored liquid in the vial.

"A delightful drink I discovered this Christmas Holiday," Dumbledore said with a chuckle, "Redbull I believe the muggles call it."

Harry shook his head slightly at the old man's antics before downing the liquid he now recognized before stopping Dumbledore remembering the Headmaster's gift towards him, "Oh yeah, Professor Dumbledore."

"Yes, Harry?" Dumbledore spoke.

"Thank you," He said slowly, "You know, for the Christmas gift, it's really cool, and it being from my dad I-, I'm not really sure what else to say, so Thank You."

"Think nothing of it, my boy," Dumbledore said with a smile, "It is only right what is yours be returned to you."

Harry nodded, and as the door swung open allowing his exit from the Headmaster's office, Harry stretched and thought to himself, _Maybe the Old Man isn't really all that bad._ However, as if a cold front had just washed over him, his body froze as he saw the figure of Hermione running towards him looking rather disturbed, "Harry," Hermione called, "Thank god I found you, I've been looking everywhere for you and-,"

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, a nervous feeling tying up his stomach.

"Neville," Hermione said trembling, "He's hurt. I brought him to the hospital wing and-"

But before Hermione could even finish her sentence, Harry had jetted off to the infirmary. He didn't care what had happened at the moment, all he cared about was if his friend was safe.

* * *

**(Hermione P.O.V)**

It still felt like a dream as Hermione stood beside Neville's bedside, Michael and Harry watching over their friend with concern and anger as Neville's Grandmother, who carried the reputation of being fierce sat in a stool placed next to his Grandson's infirmary bed looking rather livid herself.

Her hands were trembling, her heart was full of guilt, she should have done something, she shouldn't have listened to Neville. Yes, she didn't really know much about being in a fight, but she shouldn't have abandoned him even if he had told her too. Neville was her friend, one of the few people that wouldn't shun her or laugh at her behind her back. She felt disgusting and angry at what she had seen and done.

"Hermione," Michael said, a tone she had never heard from her fellow Ravenclaw, a tone cold enough to make every muscle in her body freeze, "Who did this to him? What happened?"

"I, I, I'm sorry," Hermione spoke, "I should have-"

"Young Lady," Neville's Grandmother barked, "Unless you are responsible for what happened to my son, which seeing as you are about to break down near his hospital bed I don't think you are, I don't want to hear the words I'm sorry leave your mouth. Simply get a grip, and tell us what happened.

"O-okay," Hermione said tightening her tiny fists as she spoke, "It was right after lunch…"

As Hermione told the story, she felt her mind take her back where she was at the time. She and Neville had been walking towards Care of Magical Creatures. They were talking, and Hermione had begun feeling rather nervous as her palms began to sweat looking upon the Hufflepuff. He seemed more confident and sure of himself, and while he wasn't a model or anything like the way Harry looked when he flew, Hermione had always found Neville very cute.

Hermione was laughing at the stories Neville had been telling her that happened between the boys over the Winter Holidays when before they could even react, the two were pulled into the empty corridor beside the greenhouse. Neville had readied his wand, but her's had fallen to the ground from her pocket as she looked up to face not just Draco, but Parkinson, Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott.

"What do you want?" Hermione said, "You're going to make us late for class."

"You're free to go Mudblood," Draco spoke with a shrug, "I only have business with the Squib."

"You're going to leave us both alone, or I'll get Professor Hagrid and-," Hermione started before being rudely cut off.

"And what?" Nott spoke with a sneer, "The fat oaf can't even use a wand. Shouldn't even have a job at the castle really, after being expelled and all."

"Back off Nott," Neville said pushing Nott out of Hermione's face, "What do you guys even want?"

"What do we want?" Draco said in a snake-like hiss, "You embarrassed me Squib, if you think I'll allow that to go unpunished, you've got another thing coming."

"If you want a rematch that's fine," Neville said standing up, "One on One, everyone else goes. Fair match."

"No," Draco said with a smirk, "I don't care much for fair right now." Draco and the snakes lifted his wand and together they spoke, "_Stupefy!" _

"_Protego Maxima!" _Neville shouted as Hermione felt herself pushed behind him. The shield had held exceptionally well as Neville growled, "Get out of here Hermione! Go Get Help!"

"But what about-" Hermione started.

"I can handle them!" Neville said through a strained voice, "Just go!"

Hermione nodded, "I'll be back as fast as I can!"

Neville nodded, and as Hermione bolted towards the Great Hall hoping to find other Professors on the way to their classes, she had come across the Head of Hufflepuff House herself and with great haste, Hermione escorted Professor Sprout to the corridor where the fight had broken out, but she wasn't nearly fast enough, as laying on the ground all boil-filled, stunned, and with his knees reversed was Neville Longbottom.

"I shouldn't have left him," Hermione said, "I should have stayed and-"

"And what?" Augusta Longbottom spoke, "End up in the Hospital Wing with him much later as there is no clue when he would have been found if not for you. Nobody blames you, young lady, I'm sure Neville doesn't either."

"She's right," croaked Neville through the bandages, just waking up, "It's not your fault. It's Malfoy and his goons that are to blame."

Suddenly, the room grew quiet as Hermione watched in shock as Harry and Michael seemed almost to be having a full conversation with just a look. The animosity Hermione felt from their magic, and the visceral expressions in their face were enough to make her blood run cold before with one word Harry spoke, "Corner."

"Right." Corner said with a nod, his hands resting in his pocket as the two began to head towards the exit.

"Stop," Neville groaned out, "Don't."

"Nev-," Harry spoke.

"Don't attack them," Neville spoke, "It's not worth it."

"You're our friend," Corner spoke, "You're worth the suspension."

"It won't just be a suspension though," Neville said through a tired cough, "Malfoy's dad is on the board of governors, the others are all Pure-Blood with voices in the Gamot. Even with my gran there, we'll lose the vote of punishment, but you're a half-blood, both of you. And while Harry may have the cover since he's the boy who lived, a hex on a group of Pure-Bloods from you Corner will get you thrown out of Hogwarts, justified or not."

"So I just won't hex them then," Michael said with a scowl cracking his knuckles, "Harry and I will beat their asses the old fashion way."

"Please," Neville spoke tiredly, "You two are my best friends, I don't want me to be the reason I never see one of you at Hogwarts again. Don't attack them."

Hermione grit her teeth, Neville, unfortunately, was right, but there was nothing that Hermione wanted to see more than the people who put Neville in a stretcher in one themselves at the courtesy of Harry Potter and Michael Corner. Corner also seemed overwhelmingly frustrated as he spoke, "Well I'm not just going to sit there and let them get away with what they did to you! You deserve better than that Neville."

"I'm not asking you to do nothing," Neville said, and if possible that phrase seemed to set off a lightbulb in Harry's head as he nodded.

"Alright Nev, we'll do it your way," Harry said with a sigh, "Come on Corner."

"Where?"

"We need to find Fred and George if we're going to pull off something this big."

* * *

**A/N: Man, this chapter certainly was a wild ride. We got to see some of Neville's growth, we got a Hermione P.O.V and a crazy legilimency lesson with Dumbledore. Poor Neville though, my guy can't catch a break, but it led to one of my favorite moments writing fanfic. I love that Harry and Michael can just understand each other with a look, and while their original plan didn't go through, I hope you are all excited to see the one they've come up with now. If you enjoyed the chapter please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until Next Time, Peace**


	24. Chapter XXIV: Shack of Horrors

**A/N: Super Dialogue Heavy Chapter Incoming!**

**With that said, let's hop right on into chapter 24, we're quickly approaching the end of the first book, not sure how many chapters left, but we're way more than half-way done at this point.**

* * *

Chapter XXIV: Shack of Horrors

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry and Michael sat alone in the library. Most students had left for the Great Hall for dinner, but the two boys weren't necessarily feeling hungry as they festered in their anger. "I can't believe Neville tried to stop us," Michael growled, "We aren't really going to sit here and do nothing, right?"

"No," Harry said shaking his head, "But we need a plan. Deep down, to his very roots, Neville is a good person, even when the world is pushed against him he doesn't show any resentment or bitterness. But we're not like Neville, I won't be able to rest until it's done. For good this time."

"Mr. Potter," A familiar voice called out.

"Mr. Corner," Another spoke.

"I believe you requested our presence," The twins said in Unison.

"Yeah," Harry said with a nod, "We need your help."

"Getting back at Malfoy, I presume?" Fred said with enthusiasm.

"It's more than just getting back at him," Michael growled, "I want him to learn his lesson this time, permanently."

"I see, well Georgie, looks like our regular toys aren't going to be enough this time," Fred said.

"I agree, my less attractive twin," George said with a grin, "Let's show the boys the new toys."

"New toys huh?" Harry said, "That sounds promising."

"They are," The twins said in unison with a great grin.

Harry marveled at what the boys had created a large and rather explosive looking firecracker they were calling Thor's Thunder Cracker, a rather amazing looking invention called a portable swamp, and perfume bottle that looked oddly out of place among the other gags.

"What is that?" Harry said looking at the bottle.

"That is something that Fred and I are planning to discontinue," George said looking at the bottle, "Nasty bit of work honestly. Tried to brew a minor love potion, you know make the user smell attractive to the person they want, but something went wrong when we tested it. Sprayed a bit on Ron, ended up crying about spiders for two days. Ended up amping up a persons fear, not really something we want in our Joke-Line."

A sinister grin grew on Harry's face, "May not a great joke, but perfect for what I'm looking for. If you two are getting rid of it, can I have it?"

"Course," The twins said with a shrug, "We don't need it. Just destroy the evidence when it's done, also one squirt is more than enough, you want to get back at Malfoy, not drive him insane, right?"

"I want to break his nose," Michael growled, "But Neville insisted we do things differently."

Fred and George nodded before Harry spoke, "I think I'll also take the portable swamp, how much?"

"For you two, nothing," Fred and George shrugged.

"What?" Michael said, "I mean, we're thankful and all, but you guys worked hard on these gags, we shouldn't just take them for nothing?"

"You're our proteges," Fred and George sighed, "Wouldn't be right, plus we do well enough, one swamp won't be missed."

"Thanks you two," Harry said with a nod, "We'll make it up to you. Now I just need to figure out how to get Malfoy alone."

"Ah," Fred said with glee, "We thought that might be something that could be a challenge."

"Which is why," George said pulling out a piece of folded parchment from his bag, "We've brought you this."

"A folded piece of paper?" Michael asked in confusion.

"The Marauder's Map," Harry said in astonishment.

"How did you know?" The twins asked surprise and disbelief filling his face.

"Prongs," Harry said with a grin, "That's my dad."

Instantly, both Fred and George bowed deeply, their heads slamming against the table as the spoke, "We are not worthy."

"Alright," Corner spoke, "I'm super lost, what's happening? And what's so important about the Marauder's Map?"

"Let me show you," Harry said with a grin as he took the folded parchment from the twins and placed his wand to it, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Instantly as told to him by both Remus and Sirius, the paper began to unfold, and from it, the entirety of Hogwarts appeared on a detailed map, with various trails of footprints and the names associated with them.

"This is-," Corner spoke in disbelief.

"Hogwarts," Fred finished.

"With every passageway, person, and almost every hidden room detailed," George said.

"Except for Professor Lupin," Fred said with a shrug.

"Not sure why, but the map doesn't show him, even when we know he's in class," George finished.

"Strange it is," Fred and George spoke together, "But it works for everyone else?"

"Who are Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs?" Michael asked looking down at the map.

"Prongs was my dad," Harry said proudly, "I read his journal, apparently he was an animagus, a stag, and his friends nicknamed him Prongs," Harry then forced himself to act dumb, "Never talked about a Padfoot, Moony, or Wormtail in his journal though, mostly just notes on my mom."

"Oh," Michael said with a grin, "So he was just as obsessed about one girl as you are then, makes sense."

"Like father, like son, I guess," Harry said with a grin, though his heart was laced with contempt as he looked down at the word _Wormtail_, he hadn't forgotten about the rat, one day, he'd make Pettigrew pay.

"We should have some nicknames though," Michael said with a grin, "It would be like special forces."

"They were named after their animagus forms I believe," Harry said with a shrug, "We're not animagi."

"Doesn't mean we can't learn," Michael said with some excitement before Harry brought him back to the situation at hand.

"We'll think about codenames after we finish this with Malfoy," Harry said with a serious tone before turning to Fred and George, "Are you two sure I can have this, finders keepers and all that?"

"Hey," Fred said, "As for as I can tell, the map belongs to you anyway."

"Plus," George finished, "We already know the castle like the back of our hands. Time to ring in the new guard."

"Thanks you two," Harry said honestly, "I mean it."

"Use it well Potter," The twins said with a grin, "Get Malfoy good for us."

"Will do," Harry said firmly, "I promise."

* * *

****(Harry P.O.V)****

"Potter," Daphne spoke hastily, "Potter. Hello, Flyboy, are you awake?"

"Huh," Harry said rubbing his eyes, "Sorry Princess, did you say something?"

"Look, I know you're a little torn in your concentration and all with what happened to Neville, but I really need you to focus right now," Daphne said calmly, "Babbling made us partners for the Runes project and I'm not going to get a bad grade because you're too busy daydreaming."

"Sorry," Harry said, "I'll try to stay focused, what are we working on?"

"Fire resistance," Daphne spoke, "Somehow we need to apply a set of runes that will allow a sack of ice to keep its shape after being exposed to Babbling's fire spells. In other words, we need a fire and heat repellent rune chain.

"So what do we have so far?" Harry asked yawning from his restless sleep.

"Come over here and I'll show you," Daphne said waving him over.

Harry smiled as he placed his chin atop Daphne's head, using his taller form, to complement hers as she sat the two looking down at the notes, though Harry's senses were currently being overloaded by the fresh lemony-scent of the Princess's hair. Daphne tilted her head back as with an extremely forced glare, she spoke, "You comfortable up there?"

Harry looked down into the girl's icy-blue eyes, their lips so painfully close as Harry smiled, "Extremely so."

Daphne rolled her eyes before looking back down at her notes allowing Harry's head to regain its former positioning as he too began scrolling the blonde's notes, "Okay, so I managed to get the sack to not catch on fire with these runes, but the heat still permeated through leaving the ice a puddle of water last time I tried it. However, if I overdo it and add a freezing charm to the sack, the fire simply burns through it, not knowing which rune to activate first."

"Hmm," Harry said looking down at the bag, "What about the inside of the sack, did we apply any runes there?"

"That's," Daphne started in a rant-like format possibly expecting him to have said something dumb before she smacked her forehead, "Of course, I have so much more area to work with than just the outside."

"Yeah," Harry said with a grin, "We focus the outside of the sack of fire and heat resistance so the bag doesn't melt apart, and then on the inside, we add an almost overkill amount of freezing and cooling runes to keep the ice solid."

"Look at that," Daphne said as Harry smiled seeing her eyes once more, "It seems like your not just a pretty face after all."

"I prefer devilishly-handsome," Harry said with a smirk.

"Whatever, Flyboy," Daphne said with a chuckle before returning to her parchment to continue the notes, "You get one good idea and you get all cocky."

"This makes it at least two," Harry said with mock defensiveness.

"What's the first?" Daphne said curiously.

"I chose you to be the girl I desperately try to convince to go out with me," Harry said brightly.

"Okay," Daphne said with a grin, "Two good ideas, though one is still a work in progress."

"This could be so much easier if you just admitted you liked me," Harry said with a chuckle.

"Perhaps," Daphne said with a shrug, "But I'm not a particularly big fan of doing things the easy way."

Harry smiled down at the blonde who had for a moment taken his mind off the gameplan he and Michael had constructed for tonight, however, his distraction had ended as from the corner of his eye, Michael walked into the empty classroom where the two had shared their quiet moment instantly freezing as he spoke, "Sorry, am I interrupting?"

"No," Daphne said as she collected her things, "It's getting late and we're just about done here. He's all yours."

As Harry watched the Princess leave the empty class, his smile turned cold as he turned to Michael before he nodded, "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Michael said with a sigh, "Let's try not to get caught, as much as I'm for this, I'd rather not get expelled."

Harry nodded pulling out two crafted masks made of a black cloak with eyeslits charmed to change their eye color, especially from Harry's recognizable emerald green. "Do you have the map?"

Michael nodded, "You've got the cloak?"

"Yeah," Harry said with a sigh, "Let's start Phase II."

* * *

****(Michael P.O.V)****

The invisibility cloak that he and Harry were currently hidden under was a lot larger than he had originally expected, and that was lucky for them, as stealth was a key component of pulling off this 'prank'. As Neville recovered in the hospital wing, Hermione so racked with guilt she didn't leave his side for anything other than class, he and Harry had created a masterful plan that was certainly like no other prank before, this one had stakes much higher than detention, and this one was for vengeance.

With the fear perfume locked within Michael's bookbag, and the willingness of Kreacher, a house-elf Michael had learned Harry had gained through his magical inheritance upon his return to the wizarding world, there were only two more things the boys needed to collect, the first of which lay dormant in the Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom.

It was late, and with many teachers currently enjoying dinner, there weren't many people roaming the hall. However, knowing the stakes of their mission, Michael remained vigilant, one slip up could mean his expulsion, and while Harry and he had planned every aspect of their 'prank' religiously, Michael knew better than to get complacent. Soon, however, their trek down the serpentine corridor had been completed successfully, and now the two boys stood before Professor Lupin's class, Harry reached for the door handle, but the wooden door was sealed shut. Slowly, Harry reached for his wand before Michael stopped him, "No magic from us, keep it covert, do you have your penknife?"

Harry nodded slipping the blade from his back pocket, and better than with the spell, the door swung open without a sound. He turned to look at Harry, a pleased grin on their faces as the huddled into the DADA classroom, closing the door behind them. Still under the protection of the cloak, he and Harry began scanning the classroom feverishly, but it became clear that what they were looking for wasn't in the ground-level of the class, "His office?" Michael asked with a shrug.

"Worth a shot," Harry responded as the two crept ever so slowly up the stairs reaching Professor Lupin's office. Michael watched as Harry shoved the penknife into the lock of the DADA teacher's door, and though it took a bit more wiggling, the office door too swung open.

This time, however, their feverish search lasted only seconds as their objective was quickly found, tucked just behind the desk was the monstrosity they were looking for, the boggart chest. "Kreacher," Michael heard Harry whisper, and with a quiet pop, the elderly elf appeared at Harry's side.

"How can Kreacher assist the heir of-,"

"Shh," Harry whispered though in a kind manner, "Quiet Kreacher." Kreacher nodded as he awaited his orders, "Kreacher, this chest, can you transport it to the shrieking shack, just off the edge of Hogsmeade?"

Kreacher nodded before Harry stopped him, "One more thing," Harry said as Michael watched him draw out a portable swamp from his bag, "Set this off in the shack and then wait for my call again, remember we want this as quietly as possible."

With another silent nod, Kreacher took the portable swamp pack and the large chest before vanishing with a pop. Michael then turned to Harry as he took the black mask from his best friend, "Alright, now all that's left to do is grab Malfoy."

"Here goes nothing," Harry said with a sigh, before both he and the Boy-Who-Lived, secretly crept out from the Defense Against The Dark Arts Classroom, and into a quiet corridor right next to the corner that led to the restrooms nearest the Great Hall, and then, with great patience, they waited for Astoria to do her part.

Astoria had agreed to help Michael and Harry get back at Malfoy in any way they could, not just because Malfoy had been a prick to her sister, but because Harry and Astoria were practically siblings, and seeing the anger Harry currently felt, Astoria had felt she needed to do something. And do something she did, as it hadn't taken long before Michael saw Draco clutching his stomach rushing out of the great hall.

Fred and George had given Astoria a bottle of a new product pleasantly called U. No. Poo, a product that looked like simple beans and also dissolved in water. Her task was simple, have Draco ingest some, and due to her sister's seating at the Slytherin table, it wouldn't cause much suspicion if Astoria happened to sit there as well. Needless to say, Astoria's execution had been done brilliantly as with haste, and a face paler than snow, Draco was sprinting right towards them, desperately trying for a relief that wouldn't come.

But constipation was not nearly as severe of a punishment for the 'prince of Slytherin' and just before Draco had reached the restroom door, Michael rushed Draco pinning the blonde to the ground under an invisible force as Harry, protected under the silencing charm, summoned Kreacher, before, with a pop, the three boys vanished from the Hogwarts Grounds.

* * *

**(Harry P.O.V)**

He, Michael and Draco had all apparated towards the shrieking shack, and while Harry and Michael with the help of Kreacher had landed in a platform safely above the swamp near the Boggart trunk, Draco had landed face first in the swamp with a thud. Harry and Michael removed the invisibility cloak handing it for Kreacher to hide under as their masks and all-black uniform hid their identity.

"Who are you?" Draco spat, trying and failing to climb out of the swamp, "When my father hears about-"

"Shut up," Michael spoke, and Harry smirked that not only had his friend's eyes changing charm been a complete success, the voice modulation one had done wonders as well, "Your father has no power here. Your fate is in our hands."

"What do you want?" Draco said desperately trying to remove himself for the swamp, but even access to his wand was being restrained by the Weasley's invention, "Money, do you want money? My family has money?"

"No," Harry said as he approached the frightened snake, lifting the 'fear perfume' and spraying it on the isolated snake, "We want to hear you scream."

And scream he did as what Harry could only imagine was a 'fear toxin' like effect from the Batman Comics he read when he was younger took their effects on Draco. Against all hope, Draco tried to swim out of the swamp, but the thick filling of the liquid wouldn't let him move, "Please!" Draco shouted in fear, "Please don't hurt me! Leave me alone! I didn't do anything to you!"

"The Longbottoms are a very wealthy family," Harry spoke, "With Powerful Friends. We've heard about your attack on the Heir, we don't appreciate disturbances to our business partners."

"I didn't m-mean t-to," Draco said now stuttering with fear, "It w-was an a-accident."

"That isn't what we heard from our agency," Harry spoke, practicing their rehearsed story, "Frank and Alice Longbottom saved my life during the first war," Harry lied, knowing Draco's mind was far beyond the ability to recognize his age, "Any aggressions on their son is in direct conflict with my life-debt to their family."

"Please!" Draco cried, "Mercy! I Didn't Know! Mercy!"

"Did you show Neville Longbottom mercy when you attacked him without reason," Michael said standing above the swamp. "No," He answered his own question, "You ambushed one, hexed him without mercy, and cowered in fear of retribution. Cowards receive no mercy."

"Please!" Draco said his throat hoarse, "Just let me go! I'll never bother Longbottom again, I promise just don't hurt me!"

"We'll let you go when we're done," Harry said coldly, "Open the trunk."

Instantly from the trunk, the boggart emerged and sensing that Malfoy was the epicenter of the fear, rather than transforming into a dementor or Pennywise from the Stephen King Novel, which Harry knew to be Michael's biggest fear, the boggart took the shape of something strange, but not something unfamiliar to Harry, for Draco, the boggart took the shape of a full moon.

Michael had turned to him in confusion, but Harry simply smiled at the irony, it had made so much sense but had been surprisingly well hidden. The fact that his father always held the board of governor meetings on the days of full-moons which forced Draco's attendance. The fact that Snape kept such a watchful eye on Draco, the fact Draco's aggression spiked when the full-moon drew near. His grin broadened, "You're a werewolf."

"I'm not a werewolf," Draco screamed back, "I'm not! I am a pure-blood wizard, not a disgusting half-breed. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not."

"Then why do you fear the moon?" Harry asked.

"I'm not a werewolf," Draco said, "My father said that when he returns, he'll cure me, he promised he would, he promised."

"Who promised?" Harry spoke now more intrigued than irritated.

"The Dark Lord," Draco spoke with an insane smile, "He may have employed half-breeds under his command, but when the time came he would've eradicated them from the earth and for my father's honorable service, the Dark Lord would cure me."

"To be so foolish to believe the Dark Lord to be capable of causing anything but misery is saddening for you and the idiocy of the Malfoy line." Harry spoke, "Though you have provided me with very fascinating information. So we'll end it here," Harry turned to Michael who shoved the boggart back into the case, "If you ever approach Longbottom again, we'll unleash the fact that the proud Malfoy heir is a filthy half-breed, and your families reputation will crumble. This is the final warning Malfoy, do not cross us again."

With a flick of Harry's wand, Draco was flung out of the swamp landing near Michael atop the second level of the Shrieking Shack. Harry watched with almost a touch of sadness as Malfoy trembled and shook, curled up into a ball maniacally shaking, "I'm not a mutt, I'm not a mutt."

But that sadness was broken as Draco's wand rolled from out of his pocket onto the ground before Michael who snapped it in half beneath his feet, "Whoops," Michael said with fakeness lacing his voice. Before Harry turned to Kreacher.

"Drop him off somewhere on the Hogwarts ground, below the whomping willow is fine," Harry said, "And if you could bring that trunk back, that would be really appreciated." Kreacher nodded before Harry spoke, "Thank you."

Kreacher seemed to smile slightly before bowing, "It is an honor to serve," Before popping away with the trunk and Draco.

Harry and Michael began getting to work cleaning up the shack before Michael whispered, "Do you think he learned his lesson this time."

"If he didn't," Harry said slowly, "I don't think that anything short of killing him will teach him."

The two boys nodded, knowing that killing the Malfoy heir was a line they promised themselves they wouldn't cross, they had to be better than that, but the silence didn't last long before Michael whistled, "Draco being a werewolf though, who would've guessed."

"The world of magic is certainly full of surprises."

* * *

**A/N: See, all of you guys worrying that Harry and Michael were just going to sit there twiddling their thumbs, you all need to chill out and have some faith. This chapter contained one of my favorite Haphne moments I've written, and while I normally don't like writing Dark! Harry, I felt that Harry at least going this far was still in line with his character I've developed so far. As someone once wrote in my review, this Harry is caring to his friends and ruthless to his enemies. Now, as for Draco being a werewolf, this is actually a theory that gained some traction before J.K.R said it was wrong, but I loved that idea and felt I'd pepper it in here, I hope this also explains why I've made Draco more aggressive than his cannon counter-part, this Draco is dealing with something much worse than Pureblood fantasies. Not sure yet how big of a role it will play in the story, but it will play a role. Apart from that, I think I've covered everything major that happened in this chapter. If you have any questions, PM me, and if not just leave me a Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	25. Chapter XXV: Revelations

Chapter XXV: Revelations

**(Astoria P.O.V)**

Whatever Harry and Michael had done, it had worked tremendously well, Astoria would dare to say even too well. There was certainly no love lost between her and the Slytherin Prince, even less so between Daphne and Draco, but for a moment, Astoria had felt pity for the boy. Lucius Malfoy had come to the school demanding answers and punishment for those responsible, but Draco didn't say a word, he didn't even look up from the ground. Honestly, it almost seemed to her that Draco Malfoy, the once-proud git had been completely neutered.

Astoria wasn't unfamiliar with Harry's more dark side, she'd seen it when Nott had attacked her and he pinned him against the wall ready to break the boy in half. Honestly, Nott needed to consider himself luckier than ever before that Cedric had shown up when he had because judging what had happened to Malfoy, Nott ending up in the hospital wing for a year was a real possibility. All she learned was that Harry could be quite frightening when he wanted to be, and she felt lucky to be on his good side.

Astoria turned up to look at the boy who had changed so much of what she had imagined Hogwarts would have been. He had been supportive, helped her with her homework, and most importantly made her feel welcome when she was at her most frightened and nervous. That didn't even begin to mention what Harry had done for her sister. For so long, Daphne had been this cold immobile block of ice, cold to everyone outside of her small net of friends and unwavering in her stances, but Harry against all odds had 'melted' her sister.

Daphne smiled more, and though she would act as if she hated it, she never pushed off Harry's gentle touches or close proximity, instead opting to stay quiet, not wanting to tell him to leave, but far too proud to tell him to stay. Honestly, they were a perfect couple despite her sister's unwillingness to admit it, he was warm where she wasn't, and her sister was more tactful and conservative in order to reign in Harry's more instinctive impulsive. The only fear Astoria truly had when watching them from afar was that with the pace they were going, she hoped she'd be alive to see the wedding.

Quickly, she pushed those thoughts from her head, she refused to allow them any time in her mind. _Everybody dies, _she had reminded herself, and that had provided her some comfort, sure her time was shorter than most, but there was no point in fearing the inevitable, instead, she just wanted to enjoy the time she had with Daphne, and Harry. She turned to look at Draco as the students gathered in the Great Hall for breakfast on the calm Saturday morning. Pansy had kissed Draco's cheek, but the blonde had recoiled in fear, and she saw that Harry too was looking at the boy in minor pity. Quietly Astoria whispered, "What did you do to him?"

"What I had to," Harry said with a sigh, "I'm not proud of it, be he's come close to harming the people I care about far too many times."

Astoria nodded as she spoke, "Aren't you worried they're going to find out it was you. I mean Malfoy Sr. holds a lot of weight in the upper levels of the ministry and Hogwarts."

"Technically," Harry said with a shrug, "As far as the courts can prove, we were with Augusta Longbottom at her Grandson's bedside. At least, that's what she'll testify if we get suspected, and she'll use her privileges as a highborn witch to deny anyone a chance at questioning her honor."

"Smart," Astoria said with a nod, "I think you've been spending too much time with my sister to come up with a plan like that. Using a Lady of the court as your cover is very Slytherin like."

"I don't know about that," Harry said with a smirk, "I don't think there's such a thing as spending too much time with your sister."

"You two are so cute it's gross," Astoria said with fake disgust, "Why don't you two just find a closet to snog and end this whole awkward romantic tension."

"I wish," Harry groaned which caused Astoria to chuckle, "Your sister's a real royal pain in the ass sometimes, but god is she worth it."

Astoria rolled her eyes playfully before smiling, "So, you're going to help me learn to fly better today right?" Astoria said pleadingly. Harry had agreed to the day prior, but Astoria always liked to make sure.

"I don't know Astoria," Harry said with a grin, "First years aren't allowed to fly unsupervised around the castle grounds, it's against the rules."

"So you care about rules now?" Astoria said with a chuckle, "Plus, I won't be unsupervised, I'll be flying with the best seeker at Hogwarts."

"That's…. A fair point," Harry said with a grin, "Come on Short-Stack, there's a pick-up game on the pitch in an hour, but it's empty until then, let's go get my brooms."

"Can you teach me the Wronski Feint?" Astoria said, "I saw you do it against the Slytherins at the first game."

"That's a little advance Short-Stack," Harry said with a smirk, "How about I teach you how to fly straight before I send you diving to the ground out of control. Plus, Daphne would kill me if she saw me teach you that move."

"She's my sister, not my mom," Astoria grumbled.

"Yeah," Harry said through a gritted smile, "But I'm also trying to make out with her face so keeping her happy is kinda important."

"I hate you, you know that," Astoria said shaking her head.

"Yeah, yeah Short-Stack," Harry said placing his hand atop her head with a laugh as they left the Great Hall, "I hate you too."

* * *

**(Daphne P.O.V)**

"Alright, I'll see you later Daph," Tracey said with a light smile.

"Where are you going?" Daphne asked as she looked up from her Rune project. Harry may have had some good ideas, but his calligraphy, especially for runes was horrid, so the task of writing runes had fallen on her lap. Yet, the fact that Tracey was once again leaving their common room unprompted and alone was strange. She had been doing it for a little while before the break and had been writing letters to someone constantly, though she refused to ever tell Daphne where she was going or to whom she was writing. Still, she had decided it was at least worth a try to ask.

"Look, I just need to go, okay?" Tracey said, "Alone, please."

"Tracey," Daphne said, "I know I don't say it a lot, but you know I love you right? You can talk to me."

"I know," Tracey said with a sigh, "And I love you too, you're my best friend Daph, but this thing that I'm doing, it's helping me, and I don't want to mess it up. I just-"

"It's fine," Daphne said with a sigh, "I- just please tell me you're not seeing someone else, because I'm Blaise's friend too, and that would be beyond messed up if you-"

"No!" Tracey cried, "God no! I'm not that type of person how could you even think that?"

"I didn't," Daphne said as calmly as she could, "I just wanted to make sure."

Tracey took a deep breath and sighed, "It's fine, I just, I gotta go, okay? Just go spend time with Astoria or Harry or someone today, I really need to do this."

"Alright," Daphne nodded, "But Trace, just know, okay, I'm here for you."

"I know, Daphne," Tracey said with a small smile, "I know." Before closing the door and scurrying out of the Slytherin Common Room.

Daphne had decided that with her mind currently so cluttered over Tracey, it was best to take a break from the Runes Project, and after locking it away in her bedside table, she collapsed into her four-poster with a sigh. Her stomach growled slightly, she hadn't eaten much for breakfast due to an argument that had erupted at their table between her and Parkinson once again with the pug-faced bimbo accusing Daphne of being responsible for Draco's condition. While she had managed to quickly shut Parkinson up, Draco did concern her, the boy looked timid and weak, and while Draco never really seemed like a powerhouse of a wizard, the boy was competent with a wand. Though whatever had happened to him had seemingly snapped his current wand as well forcing his father to purchase a new one.

Daphne was happy that Draco wasn't so obnoxious anymore, but terrified Draco was almost as off-putting, and Daphne had hoped that the boy would mellow out after a little time adjustment. However, her rumbling stomach was still an issue, and as she turned to the small basket of fruit she had preserved with spells near her bed for situations just like this one, her first sight was that of a green apple, and instantly to her frustration, the image of Harry smiling down on her as they sat in the library had come to her mind.

_How did this happen? _Daphne had groaned in her mind, _I'm supposed to be above things as stupid as school-yard crushes._ Daphne had heard her sister joking a lot about how the Ice Queen had melted, and while she wanted to deny it, she couldn't do it with anything more than her words. When Potter had sat next to her, it felt comforting, and Daphne had to fight every temptation to simply rest her head on his shoulder. When their hands had brushed by each other as they walked through the halls, it felt like electricity was coursing through her body, and every time she would see him staring down at her, she just wanted to kiss him to see that dumb look on his face she had seen in that abandoned classroom months before. _Damn it, am I actually falling for Harry Potter?_

_Sure "Falling" _her mind had echoed before she growled to the air, "Shut up." Daphne sat up, realizing that allowing her mind to wander was beginning to drive her crazy, and deciding that maybe she should take Tracey's advice, and with that, she left for the quidditch pitch where she knew that against her will, Astoria had convinced Harry to teach her some flying lessons. _If he actually teaches her the Wronski Feint, I will kill him, feelings be damned, _and with that final thought, she too left the Slytherin Common room, the Green Apple in hand.

Her mind was racing with to-do's as she approached the pitch, the first of which being the fact that there was still so much left of the book she had procured from Malfoy Manor left to read. While she had built a solid foundation with a theory on how to save Blaise, it was still nothing more than that, and it still required a legilimens powerful enough to enter Blaise's broken mind, and someone who Blaise would trust enough in his fragmented state to put his soul back together, which unfortunately only left herself and Tracey, two people far from the level of legilimency required to pull off their task. She needed to find another way, for Tracey's sake, and partially, though she felt sick to her stomach admitting it, for her sake as well, as with the burden of Blaise's condition lifted she wondered if giving Harry a shot would be as miserable of an experience as she first thought.

Speaking of the Boy-Who-Lived, as Daphne approached the bleachers of the pitch, she saw something that for a moment subconsciously brought a smile to her face. Harry and Astoria were zipping through the sky and the sound of Astoria's laughter was like a shot of joy through her body. "Gotta fly faster than that if you want to catch me Short-Stack," Harry said calling back to her as he outmaneuvered her sister's every attempt.

"It's not fair Harry," Astoria said with a groan, "I'm only using a Comet 140."

"Obviously," Harry said with a chuckle, "You're insane if you think I'm letting you use my firebolt without knowing how to properly fly first. Gotta learn to walk before you run and all that jazz."

Astoria took off once more after Harry and as Daphne sat on the bleachers watching the two fly, she had to acknowledge that Astoria was looking pretty good up there, despite the fact that she was technically breaking the rules. However, Daphne's serenity was broken when from behind her she heard Harry speak from behind her, "Mornin' Princess."

"Morgana's Tits!" Daphne shouted as she jumped from her bleachers.

"Wow," Harry said from behind her with a chuckle, "The mouth on you, it's very unbecoming of a Princess you know?"

"Potter, I swear to god if you ever sneak up on me like that again I'll-," Daphne started but Harry's smile distracted her slightly as he pulled up in front of her floating barely above the bleachers.

"Hop on," Harry said with a smile.

"Not a chance Potter," Daphne said shaking her head, "I don't like heights."

"Come on," Harry said with a whine, "It'll be fun, plus you look a little more stressed out than usual. I'll be with you the whole time."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Daphne said with some snark, "You're the most reckless seeker Hogwarts has seen in- What are you doing?" Daphne said realizing she was being lifted by Harry into the air. "Potter." Daphne said with some fear in her voice, "Put me down right now or I'll-,"

"Here we go!" Harry said with a chuckle as he took off with Daphne placed firmly behind him as he shot up. Having no other choice if not wanting to fall, Daphne wrapped her arms tightly around Harry as they rose to meet Astoria hovering way above the ground.

"Hiya sis," Astoria said with a grin, "Welcome to the sky."

"Astoria if you had something to do with this-," Daphne growled.

"I'm the one that gave Harry the idea," Astoria said with a shrug, "I get it, you had one bad flying experience, but it's fun, I didn't want you to never experience it like it's supposed to be."

"Plus Princess," Harry said with a chuckle, "Where's your sense of adventure."

"On the ground!" Daphne shouted, "Where it's safe! And it wasn't a 'bad' experience Tori, Malfoy forced me on his broom and that git made me fall off, if it hadn't been for Dobby I'd have been a paste instead of a person."

"Malfoy took you on a broom ride?" Harry said in discontent not hearing anything she had said.

"I was like six," Daphne said, she wasn't sure why she felt she had to defend herself, but something had forced it out of her, she didn't want Harry to think that Malfoy was in any way competition for her affection.

"I see," Harry said with a grin, "Then I guess I've just gotta make sure you have a better experience flying with me than him."

"What if I fall off?" Daphne said, surprised by the timidness in her voice. She had always considered herself a girl with more complex fears, her sister dying, Blaise never waking up, but she had one normal fear, and looking down had sparked it in her.

"I'll fall with you," Harry said kindly squeezing her hand in his.

Daphne wasn't sure why, but her body seemed to relax at Harry's words despite the sarcasm of his answer, and slowly, Daphne clung closer to him, her chin resting on his shoulder as she inhaled his patented scent before, at a much slower and courteous pace, Harry began to fly over the Hogwarts Grounds. Daphne hadn't missed Astoria's soft smile as she flew beside them, she also hadn't missed the definition her hands felt while resting on Harry's abs. Yet her eyes were focused on the beauty that she flew above.

The forbidden forest had never before looked so pretty to her as it did from their cloud-high view. Daphne smiled as she saw a tentacle of the giant squid emerge from the Black Lake before sinking back down to the depths, "This is incredible, everything looks so clear from up here."

"So," Harry said with a smirk as they circled back towards the quidditch pitch, "Better than last time?"

"Yes," Daphne relented, "But I'm still mad at you Potter."

"No, you're not," Harry said with a grin, a Daphne cursed beneath her breath that he was right. How he had developed such an uncanny ability to call her bluffs despite what she had considered a strong poker-face was beyond her, and while part of her enjoyed the fact that Harry could read that Daphne wasn't serious whenever she would say something snarky, it was irritating that the mind games, for the most part, were gone.

Slowly they touched down on the field and as Harry, Astoria, and she departed from their broomstick, Harry turned to her and smiled. They were so close, so painfully close, and not wanting to give in just yet, Daphne closed her eyes, and with fake aggression, she clutched her fist, getting on her tip-toes before softly tapping her fist to the top of Harry's head. Harry chuckled before he smirked and with a scowl more forced than ever before Daphne spoke, "If you ever force me into doing something that crazy again, I'll break your broom in half."

"As you wish Princess," Harry said with a grin as Daphne adjusted her clothes.

The sounds of approaching students for the arranged pick-up game was quickly approaching, and not wanting to be seen looking as flushed as she currently felt, she turned to Harry giving him one last look, this time laced with some kindness as she spoke, "Flyboy, you were right though, it was kind of fun, I guess."

Harry grinned, pleased with himself as he and Astoria high-fived before Daphne shook her head, forcing her mind to empty to return to her icy-demeanor despite her recent heart-pounding adventure, and knowing that walking straight through the locker-rooms would get her seen, Daphne opted to weave through the underpass of the bleachers. After all, she didn't need even more of Harry's fangirls sending her hateful glares, she got enough from Brown alone to last a lifetime.

However, it seemed that her quiet escape wasn't fated to be so quiet after all, as while she weaved through the large quidditch support beams, she heard a voice she recognized as Tracey's sound out, "Thanks for coming, I know we weren't planning to meet today but-"

"It's fine," A voice she distantly recognized spoke, "I wasn't busy."

"Still," Tracey said, "Thank you. Today's just been really bad, I miss him a lot right now, and I've just been feeling like such a burden lately. I see Daphne working like crazy trying to find a way to help Blaise, and the worst part is that I can't even see him because the Unspeakables won't let me through. I just- I don't know, it hurts."

Daphne approached closer making sure she remained out of view, but as the person that her best friend was talking to came into focus, she had to bite her tongue to stop her from releasing an astonished outburst. Sitting beside Tracey was the last person she'd have ever expected Tracey to associate with, Ronald Weasley.

"I know how you feel," Ron said with a sigh, "When Ginny died, I was a mess, I was angry and rude," Daphne watched Tracey give Ron a side-eye before he sighed, "Ruder than normal, and I became really distant. Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George, all of them did their best to try and help me, but I didn't want it. Everyone seemed to be able to keep their shit together and I couldn't, I didn't like the way they would fuss over me or constantly check-in to see if I was alright, it just made me feel like a burden."

"What did you do?" Tracey said with a sigh.

"Nothing yet," Ron said softly, "I know the right thing to do is to try and move one, to accept the help from my family and keep living, but I don't know, it's hard sometimes, and some days are worse than others. But doing this, talking about it with someone who understands, it helps. It's nice to have someone who doesn't look at me like a wounded puppy or doesn't think I'm a complete jerk."

"You are a jerk," Tracey said with a chuckle, "Just not a complete one."

"Thanks," Ron said with a slight snicker, "You're not so bad yourself you know, for a snake that is."

"Whatever," Tracey said and Daphne could almost hear the rolling of her eyes. Daphne could barely understand what she had seen as she tore herself away from the private conversation and began weaving out of the stands in the other direction. Ronald Weasley, the obnoxious Gryffindor, and her best friend were talking civilly, and more than that, they were helping each other.

Daphne didn't quite know how to feel outside of the obvious emotion of shock. Was she hurt that Tracey had revealed who she was meeting with earlier? Yes, but part of her understood, she would have judged Weasley harshly had she known and Weasley shared a pain with Tracey that Daphne couldn't relate to on the same magnitude. She wanted to be there for her friend, but emotional vulnerability was not her strong suit, and somehow, against what seemed to be all reason, Tracey Davis had found some peace and respite in Ronald Weasley. The youngest Weasley boy was certainly a piece of work, and Daphne doubted the two could ever get along, but if it was true what Tracey had said, that Ron had been helping her grief, then she supposed she could keep her mouth shut, for now at least.

* * *

****(Harry P.O.V)****

Sweat beat rapidly down Harry's brow as he and Cedric had found themselves face to face once more, "I'm not losing this time Diggory."

"We'll see about that Potter," Cedric said with his award-winning smile. Quickly the boys took off as Harry saw a glimmer of gold flash by his face and knowing there was no time to race, as Cedric was a more than competent seeker, he instantly pushed himself into high gear.

But today, Harry had one advantage, though his body was beginning to ache, and they had been flying at top speed for nearly twenty minutes, Harry's heart still beaten with adrenaline from his close contact flight with Daphne. Currently, Harry felt like he couldn't lose, and pushing his body and broom as fast as they could go, he managed to break away from Cedric, spinning just past Grant Page through the keeper's hood as Cedric regained his position just atop him. However, as Cedric plunged for the snitch, it felt as if lightning was coursing through Harry's vein as with agility he was unaware he had, he snatched the snitch from just under Cedric's nose leaving the older seeker baffled.

However, in a true sportsman-like manner that made Cedric so difficult to dislike he smiled as he nodded, "Good catch Potter, you win this round, I'll get you next time."

"I'll be waiting," Harry said with a grin, "Gryffindor does play Hufflepuff next after all." As the brooms descended his teammates circled around him, Harry's mind was focused on the last thing he had to do for the day. He had used the marauder's map to get his revenge, and now, with it securely in his possession, Harry decided it was only right to inform Remus that he had found it and send word with Kreacher to Sirius as well.

Harry high-fived Katie Bell who had been on his team during the game before Astoria had caught up to him just at the exit of the pitch as the two walked together to the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry desperately feeling the need to shower, and remove the sticky sweat from his body. Still, Astoria's excited bounces had somewhat slowed him down as he watched her in amusement, "That was so cool, especially, that spiral move you did between the two beaters. Did you make it up? Does that have a name? You should start naming your signature flying moves. Like the Potter Pirouette, or the Boy-Who-Lived Bargain or-,"

"I'm not naming my moves," Harry said with a laugh, "I'm not that egotistical, although very impressive alliteration, gotta hand it to you."

"You're no fun," Astoria said with a pout, but her pout turned to a smile as Harry messed with her free-flowing hair, "Are you going anything else today?"

"I've gotta go see Professor Lupin for a little," Harry said kindly to his younger sister, "But after that, I don't really have plans."

"Great, because that means that you can help me learn the Body-Bind Curse," Astoria said, "I've managed to get the legs locked, but I'm still working on fixing everything else."

"You're going to be the death of me Short-Stack," Harry said with a slight smile, "Alright, I'm gonna shower, see Professor Lupin, and if we have time today, I'll help you out, but it might have to wait until Sunday."

"Fine," Astoria said with a sigh before smiling and giving him a hug, "Thanks for helping me fly today though, it was fun."

Harry nodded remembering the feelings of Daphne's arms wrapped tightly around him, "It definitely was."

Harry and Astoria had departed upon entering the common room, and with a tired yawn, Harry headed towards the showers, bliss in his veins as the warm water coursed down his tired muscles. As the rain from the showerhead continued to pour, in the tile, Harry saw his lightning bolt scar, his defining feature, the thing that marked him as the one to take down the greatest dark-wizard that ever lived. Harry remembered his trembling hands when faced with Grindelwald in Dumbledore's mind, and while vengeance against the man who murdered his family was motivation enough, Harry knew there was a great discrepancy in their power, he needed to finish this as quickly as possible, and hopefully before Voldemort returned to his full strength, because if he did, Harry wasn't sure how he'd stop him.

Forcing the thoughts beyond his control out from his mind, he shut the faucet and began toweling himself off. It hadn't taken long until Harry was dry and clothed in a simple black colored Beatles tee-shirt Tonks had bought for him and a pair of light blue jeans. Seeing there was still ample time before dinner, and too distracted to gather for lunch, Harry tucked the marauder's map in his pocket, and with one last shake of his head to get the remaining droplets of water out of his hair, he left the common room for the serpentine corridor on the hunt for one of the original marauders himself.

Thankfully, Harry was lucky enough to avoid a wild goose chase as sitting at his office desk was just the man he was looking for. Harry knocked politely before Remus called out, "Harry, what can I help you with today?"

"Actually," Harry said with a smile as he pulled the map from his pocket handing it to Remus, "I think I have a gift for you today."

"Is this the-"

"Marauder's Map," Harry said with a smile as he tapped his wand to the paper, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Just as before the map began to unfold, and Harry couldn't help but smile as his normally very serious Uncle broke out into a boyish grin as he looked over every crease on the map with pride.

"I have to be honest with you Harry," Remus said still beaming, "I never thought I'd see this old thing again. Where'd you find it?"

"Fred and George had it," Harry said with a grin, "Knowing them they probably knicked it from Filtch's office. It is strange though," He continued with intrigue, "Everyone else's name shows up on there but yours."

"Of course it doesn't," Remus said, "At least not to anyone that isn't a creator of the map, but when a creator places their wand to the paper and whispers _Marauder Revelio_," Remus said with a grin tapping his wand to the parchment, and moments later, _Moony,_ appeared on the map.

"That's pretty cool," Harry said looking up at his uncle, "How you guys came up with this is absolutely incredible and- Remus? Are you okay?" Suddenly the playful demeanor that once filled Remus' often sad face had shifted to one of animosity that Harry had only seen once upon the marauder's transformation.

"Wormtail," Was all he snarled, and with the guidance of his uncle's finger, Harry too saw the name of the betrayer of his family walking right beside Ron, and instantly it clicked.

"Scabbers," Harry said in disbelief, "Ron's rat was Pettigrew the whole time. Which means-"

"Let's go, Harry," Remus said standing and grabbing his wand, "Padfoot's been a criminal for far too long, it's time for justice."

_Yes, _Harry thought his hand now firmly gripping his wand, _Justice_.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, this chapter had a lot, and trust me, with what I have planned for the next chapter this is only the beginning. While the chapter was most certainly packed with a lot of story beats, Harry and Astoria, Harry and Remus, and a very cute Haphne moment if I do say so myself, I think for the most part this chapter kept a good pace. Also, I know I have a lot of Ron haters that read my work, but I hope this helped paint him in a slightly better light. I know there wasn't much 'background' but it's kinda hard to do with non-P.O.V characters. Anyway, if you enjoyed this chapter, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	26. Chapter XXVI: Confrontation

**A/N: Alright this was the chapter everyone was waiting for, I hope I don't disappoint with how I handled the situation. Enjoy! Did some quick edits to make the story make a slight bit more sense as an idea struck me. I suggest a re-read if you've already done it.**

* * *

Chapter XXVI: Confrontation

**(Michael P.O.V)**

Michael yawned as he left the Great Hall his cravings curbed but his stomach not feeling overwhelmingly full. He sighed as he turned the corner, it had been a while since he had done anything alone. He and Harry had spent nearly every waking moment with each other as they walked through the castles, attended whatever classes they could together, ate together, and trained together. Their group continued their closeness even with the inclusion of Neville, but with the Hufflepuff boy in the hospital wing, and Harry out flying with Astoria, Michael had found himself alone.

He didn't blame Harry or anything, he knew his best friend had an obsession with flying, one that despite Michael's enjoyment of the act didn't share, and he harbored no hard feelings as Harry quickly left to the pick-up game leaving him behind. Michael groaned as he felt the weight of his book-bag, and knowing how behind he currently was in his homework he had planned for today to be devoted to catching up. Thankfully, what could have been a full week's worth of homework could be completed in a day if Michael tried hard enough, and seeing how far behind he was, trying was his only option.

The walk from the Great Hall to the Library wasn't particularly far, but Michael couldn't help but get distracted by the racketing noise being made from a nearby broom closet, Michael smiled as he sat a little bit further down on a bench and pretended to read. Was it being nosey? Sure, but he was a Ravenclaw, curiosity was a prerequisite, and he in good conscience could never turn down a mystery. His ruse of reading hadn't lasted long, however, as soon the broom closet door cracked open, and from it, Michael heard a quiet whisper, "We shouldn't keep doing this, it's wrong."

"Come on," The boy said playfully, "It's just a bit of fun, nobody is going to get hurt if nobody finds out."

"That's a big if," The girl said nervously.

"It's going to be fine," The boy said, "Trust me. You walk out first, I'll leave a minute later."

Striking their silent agreement, the door cracked open a little further before a brunette with a freckled-covered face departed the broom closet causing Michael to look on in wonder _Megan Jones? Didn't know she was seeing someone._ However, all playful amusement left Michael's mind as true to his word, the boy stepped out a minute later, and the once fun-loving expression on his face turned sour and full of anger as from the closet emerged Terry Boot.

Michael had always considered himself a calculated person but as the revelation that the person he had considered to be one of the best people in his life was being cheated on, a fire erupted in his chest as he bolted towards Terry. Boot's eyes grew like a deer in headlights as he stuttered, "Uh, hey Corner, I can expl-"

"You bastard!" Michael roared as he pinned Boot to the cold stone wall, "What the fuck is wrong with you? Susan trusts you, she actually likes you, she kind, sweet, funny, and you cheat on her!"

"Can you not cause a scene?" Boot hissed, "It's not that big a dea-,"

But before he could finish the sentiment that caused his blood to boil, Michael slammed his fist across Terry's face, forcing the boy to spit up blood from his cut lip as he fell to the floor, "Not a big deal!" Michael said angrily, "She's my friend, she's one of the best people I know and you should feel lucky that you have her! But instead of feeling lucky you decide to cheat on her!"

Boot wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand as he spoke, "It's not my fault really, she's just so boring. I mean, I get it, she grew up with no parents but god she never stops talking about it." Then in a mocking tone, he continued, "Oh Terry I can't, Auntie Amelia and I are going to leave some flowers for my mom, it's her birthday after all, or oh Terry, sorry I know we had plans, but I have to go to an inheritance meeting for my dad's estate. Honestly, it can just get so annoying some-"

A spark of anger once again flickered in Michael as he kicked the kneeling boy in the stomach-dropping him once more, "Her family died you piece of shit! Just because you grew up with a loving family who spoiled your sorry ass doesn't mean everyone's as lucky!"

Michael watched as Boot once again rose to his feet, the boy could certainly take a hit as he sneered, "Maybe you and Susan would be a perfect match for each other, clearly you two both have daddy issues."

Michael once again rushed Boot, but before he could, he found himself floating in the air, but one look at the perplexed look on Boot's face made it clear it wasn't him. Soon, however, the mystery was solved as the high-pitched voice of his Head of House spoke his diminutive frame coming into view, "Mr. Corner, what is the meaning of this!"

"He just attacked me, sir," Boot said in forced agony, "I was just on my way to the library when suddenly Michael came out of nowhere. I knew he was made because of my relationship with Susan, but I didn't think he'd-"

"You're lying!" Michael shouted, "You two-timing, two-faced, cheating bastard. I'll-,"

"Mr. Corner!" Professor Flitwick called once more, "I'm absolutely appalled by your behavior! You'll be coming with me, and we'll see exactly just how strict your punishment will be once I've figured all of this out. For now, Mr. Boot you will head to the infirmary with no delays, Mr. Corner," Flitwick said lowering Michael from his levitation, "Come along."

* * *

****(Harry P.O.V)****

Blood was pounding in Harry's head as he followed Remus through the twisted corridors of the great castle. Pettigrew was close, he was always so close, and every step Harry took, he felt a bit of his humanity slip away as his mind envisioned all the ways he could savor killing the rat that betrayed his family, that left Sirius a criminal, that deprived him of his father's smile and his mother's comfort, Pettigrew would pay, he swore it.

As the marker for Ron and his rat came closer into view, it was becoming clear that this was not going to be as covert as Harry would have liked. To his surprise, Ron was currently being accompanied by Tracey Davis, and down the hall, he saw a flicker of Daphne who seemed to be walking towards the library but had stopped and turned to face the commotion that he and Remus had made as they approached Ron.

"Ron," Harry spoke, "Your rat, where is it?"

"Uh, Harry," Ron spoke nervously, "Are you alright? You look a little, strange."

"The rat Ron," Harry said in a colder tone, "Where's your rat?"

"What are you going to do to him?" Ron said nervously.

"Harry, you need to calm down," Tracey said softly, "You look like a maniac right now, Professor, do something."

"Mr. Weasley," Remus said with a bit more patience, but not much more than Harry had, "Your rat is not a simple garden rat."

"Of course he is," Ron said with a quiver of fear, "Scabbers has been in my family for-"

"Thirteen Years," Harry finished for the redhead, "An awfully long time for a simple garden rat to live, don't you think?"

"W-what's your point?" Ron stuttered.

"Where's. Your. Rat." Harry growled maliciously.

Trembling slightly, Ron reached into his jacket pocket pulling out the rat, "I had to start keeping him with me because of your demon cat." Ron slowly reached out his hand to both Harry and Remus before he spoke, "There, you've seen him, can I go now? Please, Professor."

But Remus didn't move, the same wicked grin appearing on his face as it did Harry's, "The jig is up," Remus spoke softly to rat, "You can come out now, Wormtail."

Remus lifted his wand to the rat before Ron spoke, "Stop, you're going to kill him, what are you-"

However, realizing now that his only chance of escape was to revert, 'Scabbers' bit Ron's finger hard, forcing him to drop the rat, before in an instant, the rat transformed from a fat and ugly looking rat to a man, only a bit taller than Harry with grubby skin, small watery eyes, and a pointed nose, all of which resembled his previous rat form. The thin-haired man stared nervously at Harry, as the boy-who-lived smiled like a kid on Christmas. However, with a speed that neither Harry nor Remus expected, Pettigrew quickly flashed behind Ron, using his body as a shield from Harry's attack, before stealing the freckled boy's wand from his back pocket and in horror, Harry watched as Pettigrew spoke, "_Crucio!" _

Instantly, Ron fell to the ground in agony, screaming in pain as Tracey fell down to her knees next to him, trying to provide any comfort he could, the scene was loud and distracting, just what Pettigrew had wanted as he shifted back to his rat form, the wand barely being able to be carried length-wise in his overextended jaw. "Bastard," Harry growled as, without thought, he and Remus chased after the marauder's map.

"Harry!" He heard Daphne distantly call out in shock, but there was no time to be distracted. Pettigrew's size allowed him accessways through the castle that Remus nor he could fit through, and he needed to focus solely on the map to track the betrayer of his family. He wouldn't let Pettigrew escape, the rat died, and he died today.

Harry's breath ran ragged as Pettigrew scurried between sewage pipes, cracks in the walls, secret passages, and the fact Harry's body was already aching from his strenuous activities in the morning hadn't helped. But his exhaustion could wait as now more than ever, Harry needed his endurance as after a few minutes scurrying around the castle, Pettigrew had finally made it to the castle grounds.

The cool breeze in the air as the sun began to sink only gave Harry more anxiety, if the sun went down before Pettigrew was captured, that only played into the rat's advantage. Harry wished now more than ever that he had his broom, his eyes locked dead on the rat as Pettigrew raced towards the forbidden forest possibly thinking that Harry wouldn't follow him into it, he'd be wrong though. Nothing, not his life, not his future, nothing at all meant more to him than seeing Pettigrew dead.

Just as before, Pettigrew turned back into his human form, and had it been any other situation, Harry might have even marveled at how fast the rat-faced bastard could do it, but now was certainly not the time as Pettigrew lifted Ron's wand and with his high-pitched squeaky voice shouted, "_Confringo!"_

Instantly, the ground beneath Harry's feet exploded, and Harry heard Remus call for him. However, his pain was nothing compared to his hatred, and catching himself on his hand using his training and seeker reflexes, Harry quickly found himself back on his feet chasing the rat who stared at him in fear, "We're not done yet!" Harry shouted as he and Remus continued his pursuit.

Pettigrew quickly turned into his rat form once more, and Harry had to give him credit, he might have been a coward, but at least he knew it and his skill at evading attacks, especially when so small was very fitting for the rat, despite the frustration it was causing Harry and Remus who continued desperately to fire upon the rat. The sun was setting faster than ever before, and Harry's legs felt as if they were on fire, the exhaustion in his body was killing him, but his anger fueled him like a fire, tunneling in on the rat now mere feet from the dense forest in the distance. "_Reducto!" _Harry bellowed turning a plot of grass into dust just behind the rat's frame.

However, the dust from his missed attack had worked against him in creating a minor smokescreen for Pettigrew as he turned into his human form, and while his mind wanted to react, his body felt tired and sluggish as Peter squealed, and from his wand, a flurry of silver arrows exploded from the tip. Harry watched in horror as a silver arrow rushed through Remus' shoulder, knee, and through his torso falling him to the ground as he hissed in pain. Harry stopped turning to his uncle before with bloodshot eyes Remus spoke, "Go! Don't let him get away!"

Harry nodded the pain he saw on Remus' face only adding more to the hatred he felt towards the rat as he raced into the forbidden forest chasing the man. Harry was running blindly through the dark woods, the sun nearly down as he roared in anger. The feelings in his heart boosted his adrenaline as his body just managed to dodge a bolt of red light that was aimed towards him from the bush. He hadn't lost Pettigrew yet, and he wouldn't give the man another chance.

Harry was unsure of how long he had been wandering through the forest, finding and avoiding Pettigrew's inaccurate attacks. Sweat beat down his skin, his breath was sporadic and his chest hurt at every pant. Worse yet, Harry had no idea where he was, and if Remus had been planning to keep up with him, he certainly hadn't. Harry now found himself at a dead-end, his wand firmly in his grasp, as his eyes rested upon the large body of water blocking his path forward, however, this meant it also blocked Pettigrew's. He began scanning feverishly, his sense all on high alert as he heard the snapping of a twig and instantly shot out a stunner, hearing a girlish shriek in response. Slowly the figure in the distance rose, and Harry trembled at her sight, fearing for her safety, "Daphne? What are you doing?"

"What are you doing?" Daphne shouted, "You idiot! Don't you know who you're chasing! That man is Peter Pettigrew! He faked his own death! The only people who do that are dangerous people!"

"Then why did you follow me?" Harry spoke now irate at his situation.

"What was I supposed to do? Let you die! We're leaving Harry! The Aurors can figure this out not us!" Daphne spoke, in truth, they both knew her argument had made no sense, Daphne herself seemed to look unsure as to why she had followed Harry into danger, but the look of concern now resting in her eyes had made it clear to Harry, she wanted him to be safe.

However, a flicker of blue light from the shadows of the forest appeared, and instantly, Harry body jumped into action as he ran towards Daphne, "Daphne! Get Down!" As if acting on instinct herself, Daphne collapsed to the slightly muddy forest floor, as Harry jumped between her and the bone-breaker curse, and Harry gritted his teeth, trying to avoid screaming as he felt his entire left arm shattered.

Harry saw Daphne looking up at him, involuntary tears of pain falling from his eyes onto her pale face as he tried to force a confident smile for her sake, barely being able to whimper, "You're not hurt are you, Princess?"

"Harry, your arm," Daphne said her eyes trembling at the sight, "It's completely shattered."

"It's just an arm," Harry said through the pain, "It can be fixed, I'm just glad you're okay."

"That's very sweet," Pettigrew spoke now standing before them as Harry rose to his feet to face the rat-faced man, "It reminds me of James and Lily, they-"

"Shut up!" Harry shouted, "Don't you dare say their names! They're dead because of you! You betrayed them to Voldemort! You don't deserve to even think about my parents!"

"Harry," Pettigrew said with a small stutter, "Try to understand. The Dark Lord, he was going to win, he was going to kill us all, what choice did I have? What would you have done?"

"I would've died!" Harry shouted, "I would've died before I betrayed my friends!"

"So much like your father," Pettigrew said softly, "I don't want to do this Harry, really I don't. In another life, you could've been like a nephew to me. But once I get rid of you, the daily prophet will be so focused on the Boy-Who-Lived's death that I'll be able to escape under the radar. I hope you can understand."

"I won't let you get away," Harry said through his pain, "I'll stop you, and then I'll turn you or your body over to the DMLE and free Sirius from his accusations. You've taken away enough of my family, this ends here."

Harry lifted his wand and with a slashing movement he roared, "_Taltura!" _As a black wave of magic sliced through the air towards Pettigrew, however, Harry's aim was off, losing his dominant hand to the bone-breaking curse clearly didn't help his chances as Pettigrew dropped avoiding the off-target curse before firing back, "_Reducto!"_

Quickly Harry lifted his wand, "_Protego Maxima!_"

The spell hit Harry's shield and rang like a bell, but seeing as that he was low on energy, low on time, and low on options, Harry through caution to the wind, and knowing his aim was off, there was only one other option. Rage filling his body, Harry bellowed, "_Bombarda! Reducto! Taltura! Tenimago! Pluvia Corvi!" _If he couldn't win with his skill, he'd overwhelm the weaker man with his power.

Pettigrew did his best, trying to defend the onslaught of curses, while he had managed to stop the first two curses and barely dodge the third, the burning feeling associated with Tenimago had hit him hard and screams filled his lungs as he jumped towards the water desperately trying to stop the feeling of heat on his skin as the sharp-beak murder of crows flew by him leaving cuts across his body. Harry looked down at the pitiful man in disgust as he lifted his wand ready to take the man's wand. But Harry had miscalculated. Yes, of the four marauder's Pettigrew was by far the weakest, but he was still a marauder nonetheless, and with a flick of his wand Harry almost couldn't recognize, Harry found himself flying back nearly hitting a tree and only avoiding that fate due to Daphne's timely use of the levitation charm.

Harry stumbled to his feet with Daphne's assistance as she stared at Harry in concern, "I'm fine," Harry said answering her unspoken question, as he and Daphne began stumbling back towards the body of water where Pettigrew was. Harry was exhausted, his body was in pain and his heart was heavy. However, a flicker of triumph filled his veins as he looked at the man wallowing in the water, desperately trying to douse the black flames.

However, this flicker was quickly extinguished as Harry now too injured and tired to react saw Pettigrew lift his wand to the sky, and mutter an incantation that Harry had never heard before, "_Morsmordre!"_ Instantly, Harry fell to his knees, clutching his scar in agony with deafening screams as in the sky, a misty green skull appeared with appeared, with a serpent spilling out of the skull's mouth.

The concentration Harry had placed on his burning spell had been broken from the anguish in his head as he saw Pettigrew stumble to his feet getting ready to scurry away, "Stop him!" Harry begged, "Please!"

Harry watched as Daphne, a girl who had been panicking moments before, never truly seeing combat up close quickly lifted her wand, and with accuracy that even impressed Harry, stunned the man from behind before casting the full-body bind curse for good measure. Harry was beginning to get a grip on his pain as he rose to his feet with the help of Daphne who Harry realized was trembling like mad.

She was the Ice Queen, a facade of pure emotionless uninterest, but Harry knew there was more to her, that the Ice Queen was just an act for protection, and Harry had seen first hand how beautiful Daphne looked when she smiled and how musical her laugh sounded. But this time, it was different, Harry saw for the first time, even worse than the broom ride earlier in the day, he saw her truly afraid.

Harry stumbled trying to ignore his pain as he looked at Daphne, wrapping his good arm around her waist and pulling her close to him, "It's okay. We're okay." Harry felt the tears of the girl in his arms slip from his face onto his back, and Harry knew why. He was trained, Tonks, Remus, Sirius, even Dumbledore had taught him about his fears and how to face them, but for a person who had never experienced combat, nor had any desire to see it, it was traumatizing and Harry understood. He held his Princess close to his body, and whispered once more, "You're okay Daphne, we're okay."

* * *

****(Daphne P.O.V)****

Daphne was certain she was out of her mind when she pushed off Tracey who had tried to stop her and instead went after Harry and Professor Lupin. The man they were chasing was Peter Pettigrew, and the fact that the man had faked his own death along with Harry's seeming indifference to the case of Sirius Black had filled her heart with worry and concern for the boy's safety.

Yes, her mind had told her that he was with Professor Lupin, the only competent DADA teacher the school had for the last three years, but her body wouldn't listen, and against all reason, she chased after Harry and Professor Lupin. The men were faster than she was, and for a moment she had given up on finding them, that was until she saw Professor Lupin, struggling to move, his body still twitching as Daphne saw a near quiver full of silver arrows shot through the man. Quickly, Daphne acted, her healer's instincts wanting to come into play as she reached for the arrow only to be stopped by the professor, "Leave them in, if you take them out I'll bleed out."

"But, I can seal the wounds," Daphne said in confusion, "I know the spell-"

"It won't work on someone like me," Professor Lupin said in agony, "Send word to Snape."

"What do you mean it won't-" Then it hit Daphne, "You're a werewolf. You need the anti-silver elixir."

Professor Lupin nodded, but not wanting to abandon her quest for Harry, Daphne called out hoping against hope, "Dobby!"

With a pop, the elf appeared with a happy smile, "Miss Greeny called for Dobby, how can Dobby help Miss Greeny!"

"Professor Lupin!" Daphne order hastily, "Take him to see Professor Snape! Tell Professor Snape that Professor Lupin needs the anti-silver elixir! Please Hurry!'

Obviously seeing the dire expression on Daphne's face, Dobby nodded, wrapping his arm around the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor before popping away turning to look into the forbidden forest where Harry had run off to. Daphne now seeing just how much danger Harry could possibly be in she steadied her resolve before once again, like an idiot she entered the forest and followed after him.

Tracking Harry wasn't hard, the forest seemed rattled with spells, and with the simple cast of _Homenum Revelio _Daphne was quickly able to track down Harry. The plan was to try and talk some sense into him and bring him back to the castle to let the Aurors take care of business, but that plan had changed as in horror, Daphne watched Harry shield her from a bone-breaking curse with his body completely shattering his arm in the process.

Daphne couldn't stop trembling, she wanted to be a healer, to save Astoria, to save Blaise, she never once cared about combat, and while she had received E's in her first two years of DADA, they weren't exactly with competent teachers. She watched in pathetic inferiority and fear as Harry dueled the once-dead man with all his conviction despite his exhaustion and a broken arm, while all Daphne could do was tremble and shake in fear. She had never seen combat up close, her body had never felt a sensation like this before. She never wanted to duel, she barely knew how to, and as she watched Harry fight with everything he had, she felt more helpless than ever before.

Then it happened, something she had only read about in old news reports, the sigil of Voldemort himself was released from Pettigrew's wand, and Harry's indifference about Sirius had made sense, the man was innocent, and judging by the statements the man had made about Harry's father and mother, it was Pettigrew that had betrayed the Potters this whole time. Still, horror once again gripped her heart as she watched Harry succumb to agony gripping his scar as if the mark in the sky had held some effect over him. She listened while he begged for her to do something, and her body acted on its own, stunning the man and leaving him in a full-body bind curse as the two embraced, and for a moment as the tears ran down Daphne's cheeks Daphne stopped trembling, now feeling safe in Harry's arms.

Though she was certain she had stopped the trembling, however, her body once again began to shake but this time, Daphne wasn't afraid, this time she was cold. "Harry," she whispered seeing her breath now appearing as a mist, "Is it getting cold or am I just going crazy?"

"You need to run," Harry said looking up into the sky, "Get as far away from here as you can, they're coming."

"Who's coming?" Daphne asked, but that question was answered as one by one, the army of dementors that was once being strictly regulated by the ministry to remain off the Hogwarts grounds began to a frenzy like a shark that smelled blood around the sigil.

"Ten, Twenty, Thirty," Daphne started counting aloud before realizing it was hopeless as more and more kept swarming in from all angles, "Merlin there have to be at least a hundred of these things."

"Daphne," Harry said with a tired sigh, "You need to run, it's not safe here."

"What about you?" Daphne said heatedly.

"I need to stay and make sure Pettigrew doesn't go anywhere before the Aurors arrive," Harry said in a tone as if excepting the fact he was going to die, "I'll keep the dementors away from you, this time, I swear I'll protect you."

Harry gave her the same lazy grin she had started falling for so rapidly, although this one was laced with more sadness, more acceptance of the fact that statistically speaking his chances of surviving were staggeringly low. And yet, the fact he was most likely going to die didn't mean as much to him as ensuring the Pettigrew was captured, the fact he was most likely going to die didn't mean as much to him as making sure she got out safely. "Well Princess," Harry said trying to keep the mood light despite the situation, "I hope you're not expecting a carriage because one isn't coming."

"I'm not leaving you!" Daphne said firmly in a tone that even surprised herself, "You can't use one of your arms and you can barely stand. I'm not just going to run away and leave you to die! You're important to me damn it!"

Harry turned back to the horde of dementors that continued to swarm around the green skull as he scoffed slightly, "You really are a royal pain, you know that?"

Daphne gave a small smile despite the danger they were currently in as she spoke, "If you want to go out with me you're just going to have to deal with it. Now Flyboy, what's the plan?"

"I hold them off for as long as I can until the Auror's arrive. They can't apparate on to Hogwarts Grounds so they'll have to floo, it could take a while but I have to make sure Pettigrew doesn't escape." Harry said unenthusiastically.

A terrifying screech filled the air as the Dementors turned their attention towards herself and Harry and as Harry firmly tightened his grip on his wand, he glared at the onslaught of dementors as he spoke, "This time, I won't fail." He took a deep breath and with all the strength in his body Daphne watched in awe as Harry roared, "_Expecto Patronum!"_

Unlike the wall of mist, she had seen in the daily prophet when Harry had stepped in to save her, Tracey, and Blaise, this time the mist took a shape. First, a beak emerged from the mist and then, ever so slowly, the face of the bird appeared, it may have been coated in the mist-like white, but the sharpness of the beak, the ferocity of the talons, the shape of the head, Harry, a boy of thirteen, had done something that Daphne had thought impossible for someone their age. In the most demanding moment, and atop his exhaustion and injuries Harry had conjured a Corporal Patronus, a large crow.

The symbol of death, bad luck, cleverness, and magic erupted from Harry's wand, and for a wizard as plagued with bad luck as Harry was, and yet determined to always find a solution, Daphne could think of no Patronus better for Harry. The crow flew around like an eagle as it shoved dementors back, hissing and screeching. But there was a reason not many people could conjure a Patronus Charm, not only did it require an enormous amount of skill, but it also required an enormous amount of magic and stamina, resources Harry had used up throughout the day.

Daphne racked her mind, trying to think of anything, some kind of solution that would allow them to hold out long enough for the Auror's to arrive. Then, it hit her, the image of Harry smiling down at her during their discussion in Babbling's class about the Magic Exchange Runes, _Maybe we should try the runes, _Harry had said in a joking tone, _If it worked then it would mean we're compatible, right?_

_This better work,_ Daphne thought to herself desperately as she paced her wand to her thumb, cutting it so it dripped slightly, and using her blood as ink with her wand as a quill, Daphne began inscribing the runes along her wrist; Unity, Care, Understanding, Magic, Love. It burned like a brand, now permanently etched into her skin before she walked up to Harry desperately trying to hold his Patronus together. "I have an idea," Daphne started, "But it's going to sting a bit."

"Just try it!" Harry said through gritted teeth, and so Daphne did, drawing some of Harry's blood with her wand as she began to draw to runes on his broken arm in order not to hinder his current resistance. As quickly as she could but with great care, Daphne began inscribing the second set of runes on Harry's wrist; Bond, Magic, Trust, Strength, Power. Harry hissed slightly, as the new tattoo-like scars set across his wrist, and with closed eyes and a silent prayer, Daphne took his hand in hers and hoped _This better work._

Instantly, as their hands intertwined, a rush of magic unlike anything Daphne had ever felt before took over her body. Their joint hands glowed a brilliant blue and as Daphne turned to look at Harry she realized that the two now shared a faint white glow and that the emerald green eyes of Harry's were no more, instead, both their eyes had turned a cyan or turquoise like color, a mixture of their two iris colors as Harry smiled feeling the power flow through him as well, "This is amazing!" Harry said with glee, "I've never felt so powerful!"

"It worked," Daphne said in amazing, "The Magic Exchange Runes worked!"

"Told you we'd be compatible Princess," Harry said with a grin the fear and worry now diminished from their hearts as warmth filled their bodies.

"Whatever Flyboy," Daphne said with a laugh, the warmth in her body making her feel as if she had the power to do anything, "Let's finish these nightmares once and for all."

"Your wish is my command," Harry said with a grin, and with the magic being sent to his Patronus becoming so overwhelming, a blinding light filled the dark forest, as to both Harry and Daphne's disbelief, the shrieking of the Dementors grew louder and louder, before becoming completely silenced as Daphne witnessed what was thought to be an unkillable being turn to ash and fall to the ground.

Like flies, the dementors fell, crumbling into nothing more than piles of dust one at a time until eventually, not a single wraith flew in the sky. In amazement, Daphne turned to Harry and in a dumbstruck tone, she spoke, "Harry, you killed a dementor."

"No," Harry said shaking his head almost clearly baffled, "I think we killed a dementor." Harry slowly let go of her hand, and instantly, all the power that had once flown through them vanished in an instant, as seconds later, the toll of their magical expenditure hit Daphne forcing her to collapse to her knees panting slightly as Harry who had been far more exhausted prior to the magic exchange fell unconscious, his head resting in her lap. The glowing white light had disappeared and the blue highlight of the runes had vanished as well.

Daphne cradled Harry's head in her lap, an exhausted but relieved smile on her face that somehow they had survived their ordeal, but the merriment didn't long as soon Daphne found herself surrounded by a large group of Aurors, DMLE Head Amelia Bones, Barty Crouch, Delores Umbridge, and in the center of it all, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge. The vein in the minister's forehead pumped profusely as he roared, "Who did it? Which one of you conjured the mark?"

"Minister," An Auror Daphne recognized as Nymphadora Tonks, the one who had been part of her rescue at Hogsmeade spoke, "Be reasonable, the boy in her lap is Harry Potter, why would they, especially Harry conjure the Dark Mark, how would they even know that spell?"

"Well, then who did it?" Umbridge said in a tone that made Daphne sick to their stomach, "Clearly, Hogwarts is involved in more nefarious activities than one would first guess."

"It wasn't us," Daphne said through panted breath.

"So you just expect us to believe that the mark just happened to randomly appear in the sky?" Umbridge said, her toad-like appearance placing Daphne on edge.

"No," The gruff voice of Alastor Moody cut through, "Though I would expect it has less to do with some random students and more to do with the fact a 'dead-man' is right by the riverbank, and with a dark mark on his arm no less."

"Pettigrew?" Tonks spoke in shock before staring down at Harry, "Is he okay?" The Auror asked Daphne.

Daphne shook her head, "No, he's really hurt and all our magic was exhausted fighting the dementors."

"What dementors?" Umbridge scoffed, "Surely you don't believe that-"

"The ash piles," Daphne spoke tiredly, "At least 100 of them, they're the dementors that you had out the outskirts of the school."

"She's right," Moody said his eye zipping around like map, "Not sure how the lass did it, but my eye does detect that these ash piles were indeed dementors."

"Alright Miss Greengrass," Amelia Bones stepped forward finally breaking the ruckus of the crowd, "You and Mr. Potter will be coming with us back to the castle to answer some questions."

"He goes to the infirmary first," Daphne growled holding the unconscious Harry tightly, though she knew she was in no positions to truly make demands.

However, Amelia Bones smiled slightly before she nodded, "Of course, you and Mr. Potter will receive appropriate medical care first, and then, I'd like to speak to you both. For now," Amelia said with a turn towards both Tonks and Moody, "Ensure that Pettigrew doesn't go anywhere, and I want Veritserum at the ready for when he awakes. There are some questions that need answers."

"Ask him about the Potters," Daphne said, "Harry said he was the one that betrayed them not Black. Just ask him when he wakes up, please."

"Of course we will," Tonks said with a light smile, "Now take good care of Mr. Potter for us okay, we'll meet again soon." And with everyone receiving their orders, the arrivals began to vanish as with care both Harry and herself were levitated softly out of the forest and back towards the infirmary, with Pettigrew restrained and shackled to high heaven floating less gently behind them.

* * *

**A/N: Well, I hope at the very least this chapter was something like you've never read before, and I really do hope you liked it. I've had this scene planned out for a month now and working to get to it was certainly an experience if nothing else. I can already feel the reviews of people telling me Pettigrew isn't that strong of a wizard coming, but 1) I don't really agree with that, I think he was a coward, not a weakling, and 2) Just let it go and enjoy some fanfiction does it really matter if Pettigrew was stronger than Cannon, Harry still beat him exhausted and with a broken arm. I've had the idea of the magical exchange runes for a while and I hope you enjoyed the payoff. With all that said, if you enjoyed this chapter please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	27. Chapter XXVII: The Trial

**A/N: Hey there guys sorry for the break in between the last big chapter and this one. I didn't really mean to leave anyone on a cliff hanger for so long but this chapter is long and took a butt-ton of time to write with school and work piling on. I did have many questions regarding why I made Harry's Patronus a Crow, and there are many reasons. 1) Three Crows are the sign of House Black, the New House of Black is what Harry identifies more with than the Potter's in this story. 2) The Crow is my favorite animal so that's a bit of a lame reason but it played a role, also Daphne's future Patronus played into it as well. 3) I think Mugglenet's description of a Crow Patronus describes it best as it states, "The Crow is Very Resourceful, Ambitious, Cunning... Crows are fearless regardless of what kind of creature they find in the way of their goal, they will do anything they can to overpower it." I think it is a great animal for Harry who has a Gryffindor's heart and a Slytherin's soul. With all that done, please enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Chapter XXVII: The Trial

**(Michael P.O.V)**

Michael had never felt as awful as he currently felt, he had served plenty of detentions but never had so much gone wrong. Flitwick was lenient on him all things considered, honestly, the punishment for assaulting another student could have been much worse than a week's worth of detention with Filtch, but the detention had only been the beginning of his pain.

Nothing had broken his heart more than when he reflected on the conversation he had with Susan, and her handprint still resonated across his face as while Terry played the innocent victim, Michael had heard the words from Susan Bones that crushed him completely, "I thought you wanted me to be happy?" She had said in a mixture of anger and sadness, "You promised me there were no hard feelings, and then you go an do that to Terry, he's my boyfriend Michael, he acted first and you can't take your frustrations out on him like that."

"Red I-," Michael started but Susan cut him off.

"Don't call me that," she said with a scowl, "I- I don't think we can be friends anymore Michael, you went too far. This wasn't just some stupid prank you really hurt him."

"He was cheating on you!" Michael shouted in agony, "Please, believe me, I wouldn't, I-"

But Susan shook her head, his word meant nothing to her anymore, and as she turned around to walk away, every step hurt his chest, each step felt like a dagger, and with a defeated sigh of misery, he watched as one of the first friends he'd ever made walked out of his life without a second glance.

But Michael's tragedy hadn't ended there, in fact, it was far from over, as with haste Astoria had appeared looking worse than she ever had before. She looked frightened and confused, and instantly Michael left his detention towards the infirmary where now he found two of his friends laying. Michael turned to Neville who shook his head completely lost before he turned to face Harry who was knocked unconscious, his left arm a disgusting purple as Madam Pomfrey gave him salve after salve, potion after potion.

Ron was also in the infirmary, with Fred, George, and Percy at his bedside, and across from him and next to Harry was Daphne being tended to by Tracey. Finally, in the far corner, Snape loomed over Professor Lupin, a sight that confused Michael greatly as he had no idea what knowledge Snape had about the healing arts, nor why Professor Lupin was hurt. With Blaise resting in a restricted area of the infirmary, Michael could honestly say that he had never seen the hospital wing so full, not even after the heir of Slytherin attacks, clearly, something had happened and it was something big.

Michael watched as Astoria shot towards her sister, tears of relief filling her eyes as Michael slowly stumbled to Neville's bed where his injuries and hexes were now all gone, and he was simply ordered to bed-rest by Madam Pomfrey, "Any ideas?"

"No," Neville shook his head, "First it was Professor Lupin and Ron that came in, Professor Lupin looked awful, completely filled with silver arrows, and Ron, well from what I understood Ron was exposed to the Cruciatus Curse, though only for a limited time. Then, a horde of Aurors came holding Harry who honestly is looking a lot better now than he did when they first brought him in and Daphne too. I'm not sure what happened but I did here the Aurors whispering something about Sirius Black."

Michael's eyes dilated with anger as guilt gripped his heart. Harry was his best friend, and if he had fought Sirius Black alone, Michael didn't think he could ever forgive himself for letting that happen. He should have been there, he was his friend, he should have done something to help, but before Michael could continue down the dark path of thoughts, Neville reached out to grab his wrist, "Don't do that to yourself."

"What?" Michael said turning to the Hufflepuff.

"I know how you feel," Neville said turning to look at Harry, "We should have been there with him. Whatever he faced was clearly dangerous, but we can't blame ourselves, all we can do is keep trying to get stronger so that we can keep up with him." Neville then sighed sadly, "Honestly, if we had been there, the way we are now, we probably would have done more harm than good."

Michael turned once more seeing the damage Harry had clearly faced, he knew Harry was a stronger wizard than he was, but as he watched his friend lie motionless on the hospital bed he vowed, when the time came, he wouldn't be a burden, he wouldn't allow any of his friends to be hurt. Michael was torn from the pensive feeling however when the door opened and from it, the pink-haired Auror and none other than Susan Bones' aunt Amelia Bones entered the hospital wing.

The head of the DMLE marched straight towards Harry, before Madam Pomfrey approached the two, "How are they?" Amelia asked in a business-like format.

"They are recovering smoothly," Madam Pomfrey said, "Though the re-growing process for bones is not a very pleasant affair I fear, thankfully, the dreamless sleep potion does much to mask the pain."

"That's good to hear," Amelia said, before pulling out two rather bulky envelopes, "I really hate to do this, and while I wish I could allow them to rest from this whole ordeal, the minister is desperate for some good publicity after all of his errors regarding the dementors and now with Pettigrew being captured he wants to get out in front of the story. When the two awaken, please hand them these envelopes, they are subpoenas for the two regarding the trial that will be conducted for Pettigrew."

Madam Pomfrey nodded as she scoffed, "Honestly can't the minister see that these children have been through enough, now to have to relive the process in court, I worry for their mental health."

"I don't think there's any need to worry Madam Pomfrey," The pink-haired Auror spoke, "They're tough kids, they wouldn't have made it out of there if they weren't."

"So it's true then?" Pomfrey spoke, "They truly not only faced down Pettigrew but destroyed a hundred dementors?"

"Yes," Amelia said with a nod, "Another thing that we would hope to understand over the course of the investigation, but for now, they can rest. Just please don't delay with the summons, the minister is tightly-wound at the moment. I dare say he'd fire everyone in the ministry if he could right now."

Pomfrey nodded, and just before Amelia left, the Pink-Haired Auror stopped her with a soft voice, "Um, Madam Bones, would it be okay if I stayed for a little, just to watch over Harry, I'll be back at the office soon."

"You don't become head of the DMLE by having no observation skills, Auror Tonks" Amelia said with kindness Michael had not expected to hear from the woman, "I've known that you and Mr. Potter share some level of a relationship since the Hogsmeade Attack. I just know better than to get involved, plausible deniability and less paperwork that way. You may take the day off, but be aware that your relation with Mr. Potter could be discussed during the trial. There are far too many mysteries to leave unsolved for my taste."

As Madam Bones left, Michael slowly approached Harry and the Auror named Tonks and watched as the older girl took a seat by Harry's bedside and ran her hand through his hair, "You really know how to give me a scare kid. Would it kill you to be a little more cautious every once in a while?"

Michael had wanted to ask the question, but Astoria who had become super protective over Harry had beat him to it as she marched from her sister's bedside to Harry's, looking over the Auror cautiously as she asked, "Who are you?"

"Name's Tonks," She said with a light smile, "And I'm guessing you're Astoria Greengrass, am I right?"

"How did you-," Astoria said a bit startled.

"I'm Harry's older sister, kind of, it's complicated," Tonks said with a shrug, "Anyway, he's written about all of you," She said turning to face Michael, "Blue Hair, you're Michael Corner, over there is Neville Longbottom, Tracey Davis, the twins over there must be Fred and George, Harry worships your pranking ability," Tonks said with a mocking stern face, "Thanks for that," before turning to face the Blonde in the bed beside Harry, "And of course I can't forget the Princess herself, Daphne Greengrass. Trust me, I've heard a bunch from Harry already."

"How come we've never heard about you then?" Michael said in confusion, trying to piece together the puzzle.

"Probably because you weren't supposed to," Tonks said with a shrug, "But now, seeing as the trial is coming and everything's going to be revealed anyway, it doesn't particularly matter what secrets are kept anymore."

And so, Michael listened in awe as he heard about how Harry had been rescued from his crib by Sirius Black, how Sirius had been innocent all this time, how Harry was currently the heir to the Black Family, how his best friend had been living in America for the past 13 years, the Auror explained everything, and the shared expression of confusion was found on his, Neville, Astoria, and Tracey's face as the truth was revealed. Michael turned to face Harry with a look of uncertainty as he shrugged, "Just when you think you know a guy, huh?"

"Try not to go too hard on him," Tonks said softly, "Had it been up to him, I'm sure he would have told you everything. The way he writes about you, you'd think you two were more like brothers than friends. We just needed to keep our family safe, but with Pettigrew now firmly in custody, Sirius will be proven innocent and things can become a bit more normal."

"I doubt it," Neville said a bit off in the distance causing every conscious eye to focus on him, "What?" Neville said with a shrug, "I don't think Harry's capable of doing normal."

Michael chuckled remembering all their pranks, their secret lair, their plan to get their revenge on Malfoy, Neville was definitely right. A sliver of Michael was upset so much had been kept from him, but at the same time, Michael hadn't really gone into detail about his family life much with his best-friend either, and his was a lot less dramatic than Harry's, so in the end, he really couldn't justify his anger. Instead, Michael sighed as he once more over his sleeping friend, "You really are full of surprises aren't you Potter?"

* * *

****(Daphne P.O.V)****

As Daphne awoke, she saw that the sun had long since set, and had found herself resting beneath the warm blankets of the hospital bed sheets. She had never been to the hospital wing prior to this year, but now, she'd been admitted to it twice. Slowly, she turned her head and found herself staring at a boy with messy black hair, and a lightning bolt scar before everything began flashing back to her.

The fight with Pettigrew, the stand against the dementors, the rune bond, her eyes glanced at her wrist as she saw the makings now tattooed onto her skin, before refocusing on Harry's arm. When she had last seen it, the color was morphing a disgusting purple, and the bones had all been shattered, but now, the boy's arm looked better, it still carried some scars across it from the fight, but for the most part, it looked good as new. Then without her control, a light smile grew across her face as Harry shifted in his bed, and Daphne got a good view of the new runes engraved on Harry's wrist as well.

When Daphne had first met the boy, she was sure he was nothing but a player, an entitled prick who believed he should always get what he wanted for so long. But when he had protected her from the bone-breaking curse, when he had been willing to die in order to make sure she escaped safely, that perception if it even existed at that time had been wiped clean. Daphne examined her wrist markings once more as she sighed, "I guess this makes my feelings a lot less complicated," Daphne didn't really know what falling for someone felt like, she hardly loved anyone outside of the Davis Family, Blaise, and Astoria, but the feeling in her chest every time she stared at the runes, the way her heart would pound as she looked at the Boy-Who-LIved, Daphne had no choice but to admit, "I'm falling for Harry Potter."

"What a great sentence to wake up to," Harry mumbled as his eyes began to crack open slowly pushing himself up from his cot with his 'good' arm as the sounds of his joints popping filled the air, "Honesty is the best policy after all Princess."

"How do you wake up this annoying?" Daphne said with a small smirk.

"It's part of my appeal," Harry said as he smiled at her before looking down at the runes now carved into his wrist, "Cool, you know, I'd never imagine I'd be the type of guy to get matching tattoos, but I think we'll pull them off."

"Technically," Daphne said matter-of-factly, though with a grin on her face, "They aren't exactly matching."

"You really know how to ruin my fun, you know that Princess?" Harry said with a chuckle.

"It's part of my appeal, Flyboy," Daphne parroted.

"So," Harry said looking deeply into her eyes, making Daphne's stomach dance with butterflies despite the uncertainty in his voice, "These runes, they mean we're compatible right? So, um, what now?"

"I-I don't know," Daphne said honestly, "I've never been in a position like this before. I mean, I-"

"Can you stand?" Harry asked softly, she nodded before climbing out of the cot, demonstrating she could before Harry, though with more struggle lifted himself out of his cot as well, taking a step closer towards Daphne, the two now forehead to forehead, "You saved my life Princess if you hadn't thought of that rune class, I could have died."

"You saved my life too," Daphne said a bit beside herself, "I guess that means nobody is collecting a life debt this time."

Harry smirked as he wrapped his arm around Daphne's waist, and without a thought, a smile rose to her Daphne's face as she looked up at the boy who held her so gently. He had seen her when she felt frightened and afraid, and a gesture that once filled her with anger now filled her with the feeling of safety as she sank into Harry's emerald green eyes. With a low and husky voice, not wanting to wake up any of the other sleeping members of the infirmary, Daphne felt a shiver through her spine as she heard Harry proclamation, "I'm going to kiss you now."

"That didn't sound like a question," Daphne said with a smart-aleck smile.

"I'm sorry, your majesty," Harry said with a grin, "May I please-"

But before Harry could finish, Daphne leaned forward, catching Harry's lips with hers as she nibbled softly on his bottom lip, her eyes closed as Harry tightened his grasp around her slim waist, pushing her chest closer to his. On instinct, Daphne wrapped her arms around the Boy-Who-Lived's neck as a pulsating feeling of warmth jet through her body like electricity.

Daphne wasn't sure how long the two were connected, Public Displays of Affection had never been something that Daphne had been fond off, and she wasn't sure if it was the outpouring of relief, a matter of happiness, or an outburst of finally releasing all the feelings that had been bottling up inside her since the day she had met Harry in Diagon Alley. All she knew was that the two only separated when their lungs were empty of air, and as their lips parted, Harry looked down on her with a smile bright enough to light up all of Hogwarts as he dumbly stated, "Wow, that was-, wow."

"Having some trouble with your words there Flyboy?" Daphne said with a smugness that had rubbed off on her from Harry.

Harry shook his head in amusement as Daphne felt herself being drawn in closer by Harry's warm embrace, and this time, she showed no resistance, falling into them openly as she looked up at Harry's smile, "So, what happens from here?"

"Aren't you the girl expert?" Daphne spoke coyly before turning to face the empty bed that once rested Blaise before the Unspeakables moved him to another room for privacy, "I still need to help Blaise before I answer that question."

Harry looked down at her as Daphne sighed, "If we do this," Daphne spoke gently, "I want to mean it, I want to try, and try it seriously, not just for fun or killing time. I want this to mean something, but it can't while I'm still torn with trying to help Blaise, I can't give you my all Harry and that wouldn't be fair to you."

Daphne looked up at Harry, concern flickering in her heart, but clearly, it was unneeded as she felt the calmness of Harry's heart as if it were her own as he smiled in his standard lazy fashion, "I know that, you already told me on platform 9 ¾ that doesn't change anything for me." Daphne smiled up at Harry in relief as he spoke gently once more, "Have you found any theories in that book you took from the Malfoy's?"

"Yes and no," Daphne said with a defeated sigh, "I mean I have a theory, but I don't know legilimency so it's absolutely useless anyway."

"What's the theory?" Harry asked Daphne recognizing that he didn't seem to acknowledge the current problem with her skill set.

"If I could dive into Blaise's mind, I might be able to piece his soul back together as the soul is the conduit between heart and mind. He would trust me enough to let me in, at least, I think he would, but it doesn't matter as I can't dive into his mind in the first place."

"I can," Harry said with confidence, "This whole year when I've been with Dumbledore, he's been teaching me Occlumency and Legilimency. I could dive into his mind."

"You're a great guy Harry," Daphne said honestly, "But you don't know Blaise that well, I don't think his 'lost' self would recognize you or let you in."

"So come with me then," Harry said simply, forcing Daphne to look at the boy in confusion, "When we merged for the Patronus, I felt you, or your magic, I don't know, it's hard to explain. I could hear your thoughts, I could feel your heartbeat, I could sense your magic in my core. It's just a theory mind you, but if I dive with you, while we're connected, we might be able to enter Blaise's soul together, and maybe we could save him."

"God I'm so thankful I'm not linked to an idiot," Daphne said in relief which she noticed caused Harry to grin slightly as she spoke, "Well, do you think you could do it, I mean like, now?"

"Whatever it is you two are planning on doing," Said a voice behind them that forced the two to jump out of their skin, "It will have to wait."

Daphne turned to face that matron of the Hospital Wing herself, dressed in her sleep gown clearly altered by charms that two of her patients had left their beds. Pomfrey shook her head with a sigh, "Honestly, this sort of recklessness I expect from a Potter, but you Miss Greengrass, I'm sure you're aware of the dangers not properly resting after an ordeal can cause."

"Yes Madam Pomfrey," Daphne said, "But Harry and I, we've really got to-"

"I'm sure you two lovebirds can find a broom closet at another time," The medi-witch said forcing Daphne to blush slightly as she realized her hand was still locked with Harry's, "But for now, I have to hand you both these and ensure that you are well rested for your court summons as soon as possible."

"Court summons?" Harry asked confusion creasing his brow, "But we haven't done anything wrong?"

"I didn't say that it was you that was on trial Mr. Potter," Pomfrey spoke softly and Daphne watched as instantly, animosity and realization coaxed his face. Just before Daphne could ask another question the Matron spoke once more, "I'm certain that many of your questions can be answered by these letters, and the Auror's who will escort you to the ministry tomorrow morning. For now, read up and then rest. I will force sleeping potions down your throats if you two don't do so willingly."

Daphne felt Harry face her as he nodded and with a sigh, Daphne relented. Before she could save Blaise, there was one last obstacle to clear, but hope boomed in her heart as for the first time, her longshot of a theoretical way to save Blaise seemed like a realistic possibility.

* * *

****(Harry P.O.V)****

Harry walked with a nervous knot in his stomach through the halls of the ministry. He was glad he had Tonks as a guide, and even more glad, though somehow slightly miffed that she had spilled the beans to his friends instead of him. However, given that Harry didn't particularly release his genuine feeling all that well, there was some relief to be taken from Tonks' decision.

Nobody seemed to harbor Harry and ill will as he left Hogwarts with Daphne and Tonks, his two best friends looking back at him, and Harry could see a certain sadness in Michael's eyes, though he didn't have the time to ask, all he could hope for was that it wasn't about him. Harry reached for his tie nervously, he hated suits, in fact, anything that restricted his movement was not something Harry was a big fan of, and just as Harry gripped his hand around the fabric, a hand swatted at his.

Harry turned to see Daphne staring up at him, "Leave it."

"I know, I'm just-," Harry started.

"I get it, you're good at fighting baddies and flirting, public policy and law isn't really your style," Daphne said with a sigh causing Harry to nod honestly before she continued, "Just try and remain calm, answer the questions honestly, and don't lose your cool, okay? It's going to be fine, your Godfather will be free by tonight if everything goes well."

"If," Harry said sulkingly as he turned to the large dog following behind them under the invisibility cloak, ready to reveal himself when the time came, "I really hate ifs."

Harry felt Daphne reach for his hand, and a slight warmth filled his body with reassurance as she squeezed it gently, "Everything's going to be fine Harry. We can do this." Harry nodded, and together they turned to face the large and looming door that led to the courtroom, the most important trail Harry believed he would ever experience was about to begin.

The courtroom was cold, almost uncomfortably so, and the fabric of Harry's hastily purchased suit rubbed irritatingly against his skin, as he and Daphne entered the octagon-shaped room with stands twelve feet off the ground, filled with the cautious eyes of a myriad of noble house representatives and lawmakers alike.

Directly in front of him, the oval-shaped man with a green bowler hat that could only be the Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, to his right, the toad-like woman responsible for so many of his uncle's integrative struggles Dolores Umbridge, and to his right, the head of the DMLE, Amelia Bones. Yet the three heads of the court were far from the only people present. Augusta Longbottom had taken a seat, surprising the entire council by showing up since the first time her son was hospitalized in order to give Harry some support. Though not all faces were comforting as the sleek blonde hair of Voldemort's right-hand man glared coldly through his body as he returned Lucius' stare.

Then, the door opened once more, and strolled out on a vertical stretcher, chained up like Hannibal Lecter with straps and chains slung tightly around his rodent-like appearance was Peter Pettigrew. Harry was unsure why, but it was almost as if he could feel Daphne's discomfort in her chest as she eyed down Pettigrew, prompting Harry to give her a reassuring hand squeeze.

However, the quiet didn't last long as the pounding of Fudge's gavel brought the court to order, and against his will, Harry and Daphne were separated from their proximity as they were placed onto two chairs designed to force them to look up to the minister. "On the night of Thursday, January 20th, 1994, the sigil of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was conjured in the sky. The suspected conjuror Peter Pettigrew, the formerly believed dead man and Order of Merlin First Class recipient. Today Mr. Pettigrew is on trial for use of the Cruciatus Curse, Three counts of Endangerment of a Minor, two counts of attempted murder, and one count of Treason against the Magical Community."

"And the betrayal of Lily and James Potter to the Dark Lord," Harry spoke up, instantly earning the ire of not only Lucius but Umbridge as well.

"Mr. Potter," Umbridge said in her sickeningly sweet voice, "As you may be unfamiliar with the law, you are not simply allowed to bring charges against another wizard. You hold no legal authority in this court."

"Perhaps not," Daphne said instantly rising to Harry's defense, sensing the boiling of Harry's blood beneath his skin, "But seeing as you are referring to the Boy-Who-Lived, and the vanquisher of the Dark Lord, perhaps it should be something that should be considered. After all, the ministry owes the Potter family a debt they can never truly repay." Daphne then took a breath before she continued, "Not to mention that it is due to the ministry's inability to keep the dementors in line that Harry, was attacked not once, not twice, but three times by the vile beasts. I suggest that the charges be added as repayment for damages caused to him by this ministry's ineptitude."

"Miss Greengrass," Umbridge spoke heatedly, "This behavior and lack of respect for authority is very unbecoming of a Lady of your status."

"I meant no offense," Daphne said though Harry could sense the lies in her words, "I just assumed that with elections approaching, the ministry would be looking to clean up their image is all."

"Miss Greengrass-," Umbridge started but Fudge, who looked like he was melting from the way he sweat realizing that had Harry cared more about the world of politics, he could topple Fudge's entire kingdom, quickly interrupted Umbridge.

"Madam Umbridge," Fudge said trying to control his stuttering, "I see no reason as to why the matter of the Potter's betrayal can't be at least questioned during this hearing. After all, the loss of the Potters was a travesty we all mourn deeply."

Harry wanted to release a snide remark, had the minister truly cared about his family's sacrifice, so many known Death Eaters wouldn't have been walking free due to lies and corruption, had the ministry truly cared, they would have investigated his family's death instead of simply pinning it on Sirius without any real proof. The only thing that had stopped him from doing so was Daphne's reminder to him that if he wanted Sirius free, he'd have to bite his tongue and bide his time.

"Very well," Amelia Bones spoke, "With the added charges of conspiracy to commit murder added to the record, the trial of Peter Pettigrew shall begin. Will the witnesses please lift their wands a vow their honesty to their answering of all questions related to the crimes mentioned."

"We swear," Harry and Daphne spoke in unison, a light yellow glow encompassing them for a moment, before looking up to Amelia Bones once more.

"Very well," Madam Bones said with a polite nod, "I understand it was a very traumatic night for you both, but if you could please individually detail the accounts of the night in question, that would be much appreciated by the court."

Daphne had gone first, reciting her view of the story which earned the fast looks of disbelief and horror between many of the jury members, each deeply concerned that a "Pure-Blood" witch had suffered through so much. It was only after Daphne had concluded that Harry nodded, and with a sigh, he continued the entire story, from suspecting Peter was the rat, through the physical characteristics shared between the animagus and the man, though omitting the information off the map. He then mentioned the attack on Ron and how Peter had fled the scene with Ron's wand. Then there was the chase, the lone voyage through the forest, the appearance of Daphne, the battle with Pettigrew, and the appearance and destruction of the Dementors.

This last mention earned a scoff from Madam Umbridge, "Destruction of the dementors," She chided, "Either a very well done and elaborate ploy or a destruction of ministry property both reprehensible behavior. How does one even kill a dementor?"

"Through Magical Exchange Runes," Daphne responded blankly, clearly irritated by the pink-ladies, boggling denial of events that she herself had witnessed.

"Forgive me, dear," Umbridge spoke in a sickeningly sweet voice, "It had been many years since I myself attended Hogwarts, but from what I understood the last known practitioners of Magical Exchange were criminal brothers Anderson and Augustus Brand in the 1970s, defeated by Alastor Moody himself, am I mistaken?"

"No ma'am," Daphne said though Harry could feel the irritation in her voice.

"And prior to that," Umbridge continued, "The last recorded sighting of magical exchange went as far back as the 1300s though with the methods used then, it is likely they were no more than stories. Why should we believe you succeeded in something nobody else has for years, and why should we consider that a good thing if you have?"

"It's a good thing," Harry growled his patience waning, "Because we are still alive because of it, and we can prove it to you, by demonstrating for this court."

"Yes, of course, Mr. Potter," Umbridge started once more, "And we are all very relieved that you are indeed alive. However, because of your foolish actions and 'magical exchange,' Azkaban is now left without the protection of many of their dementors. How do you answer for this?"

"With all due respect," Harry started, "The mistakes of the ministry aren't exactly my problem, Madam Umbridge. Perhaps instead of authorizing these monsters around children, you should have kept them at Azkaban where they belonged."

If possible, the toad-faced woman's expression became even more vile as she forced her tone speaking even more sweetly than before, with enough venom laced in the words to kill an elephant, "Speaking of monsters being around children. Your Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor is a known member of the Werewolf Registry and his affliction was overlooked by Headmaster Dumbledore. Tell us why you feel a werewolf on Hogwarts Grounds is less dangerous than dementors surrounding the field for your protection Mr. Potter."

Anger swelled in Harry's chest as he lept to his, his blood boiling as he hissed, "Don't you dare compare the dementors to him. Ask anyone at Hogwarts, he is the best Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher the school has ever had. Never disrespect my uncle like that in front of me again, do you know what that registry puts werewolves through every day? Good people that have their lives ruined because of bigot-"

But before could continue, Daphne quickly stood and turned to him, sending him a soft but meaningful glance that helped him back to his practiced calm as he slowly nodded taking a seat, much to the pink lady's amusement as she continued, "Perhaps he was a good teacher, but he no longer will be filling that position. The ministry has allowed him to step down of his own free-will, but his recklessness despite his status as a professor at the school, saw Ronald Weasley exposed to the cruciatus curse for his misjudgment. Clearly, that type of behavior cannot stand, and had his temper not been so high by his affliction, perhaps none of this would have happened."

Harry clenched his fist, but from the corner of his eye he saw Daphne slowly shaking her head, and through gritted teeth, Harry turned his focus towards the ground, knowing that technically Daphne was correct, but wanting nothing more than to wrap his hands around the Toad's throat. However, Harry's anger wasn't allowed to fester long as Daphne, with a chilling tone turned towards Umbridge once more speaking, "While this dive in order to distract the public from the ministry's mistakes of having dementors around the castle which nearly led to the death of myself, my friend Tracey Davis, The Boy-Who-Lived and hero of the wizarding world, Harry Potter, and not to mention the fact that Pure-Blood wizard Blaise Zabini is currently in intensive treatment for the ministry's foolish idea of sending Dementors to Hogsmeade during a school weekend is fun. I believe this was a trial to focus on the crimes committed by Peter Pettigrew, including the murder of the Potters, the parents of the boy responsible for saving Merlin-Knows how many lives by miraculously defeating the Dark Lord."

"I'm not one to give advice often Madam Umbridge, as I understand you are a woman with far more experience than I have. But if the Boy-Who-Lived decided to use some of his fame to investigate your credibility publicly, how do you think that would end? You were once a Slytherin were you not? Remember the wisdom of the words, Tread Carefully."

Umbridge sat back and Harry watched in awe at how Daphne's words had seemed to send a chill down the lady's spine before Madam Bones returned the court to order, "Miss Greengrass is correct. It is clear through hindsight that sending the dementors to Hogwarts, a decision made through a split majority was a costly mistake by the ministry, and as such, it is important that we take responsibility for our mistakes. However, this is a trial regarding the crimes of Peter Pettigrew, and as the witnesses have made their testimony, the questioning of Peter Pettigrew may now begin."

Harry turned to face the man as the Aurors released the sealing strip that silenced Pettigrew's voice. The man was left in a stunned groggy state before a vial of veritaserum was forced down his truth followed by his revival. Slowly and with much effort, the man's eyes opened once more and before he could even get his bearings Bones spoke, "Your name is Peter William Pettigrew, is that correct?"

"Yes," Pettigrew nodded sleepily.

"On the night of Thursday, January 20th, 1994," Madam Bones began, "You were confronted by Harry James Potter and in order to defend yourself, you stole the wand from one Ronald Billius Weasley, is that correct?"

"Yes," Peter said and Harry felt a sickening feeling of discomfort. He wanted the man tried, he wanted the man executed, but he couldn't help but wonder just what kind of justice this was. The man didn't even look oriented, just a meek presence of conscious was all Harry saw in the balding man.

"On the night of Thursday, January 20th, 1994," Madam Bones continued, "You conjured the Dark Mark in the sky. For what reason did you do this?"

"The dementors," Pettigrew said hazily, "I knew they'd be attracted to the sign of Voldemort whom they pledged allegiance to during the last war. I was planning to use the dementors as cover to escape."

"Why would you want to escape?" Madam Bones pressed.

"Because if captured, I would be forced to confess my crimes," Peter said the grogginess in his voice from being recently resuscitated and fed the veritaserum heavily permeated each word.

"Of these crimes, apart from conjuring the dark mark, did it include the use of the unforgivable curses?" Bones continued.

"Yes," Peter answered simply.

"Which ones?" Bones continued.

"The Cruciatus Curse, and the Imperius Curse, once before."

"Very well. The court has the information it needs to consider your sentencing for the actions of January 20th, 1994." Bones spoke, "Now, we will turn our attention to the tragedy that occurred the Halloween Night of 1981. Who was it that killed the Potters?"

"The Dark Lord, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Peter spoke.

"Why did he wait until 1981 to attack?"

"I don't know."

"Is it true that the Potter's cottage was protected by the Fidelius Charm cast by Albus Dumbledore himself?"

"Yes."

"Was Sirius Black the Secret Keeper?"

"No," Peter spoke.

"Who was it?"

"Me," Peter responded.

"So, for clarity," Amelia spoke sharply, "Did Sirius Black betray the Potter's by revealing the location of the Potters to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"No,"

"Who did?"

"Me."

"Were you under the influence of the Imperius Curse at the time of the betrayal?"

"No," Peter said, "The Secret Keeper can only willingly give away the location."

Suddenly, an idea sprang to Harry's mind, and though he knew that his statement wouldn't hold any weight in the function of the court, he needed to know, and this was the only way to be sure, "We're there any death eaters who to your knowledge were under the Imperius Curse?"

"No," Peter said his eyes still facing the ground, "Death Eaters were the most valuable and loyal of the Dark Lord's followers, all of them-"

"Minister!" Lucius shouted from his seat, "Clearly the potion must be wearing off as this man is clearly lying! I suggest you regain control of your court and strike this remark from the record."

"R-right," Minister Fudge said with a stutter, though as Harry turned to glared back up at the daggers Lucius was sending him, he didn't miss the small grin from Lady Longbottom, and the rather sickening smile from Moody, "Mr. Potter, while you are a valuable member of this society, any further interruptions will see you removed from the courtroom and held in contempt."

"My apologies," Harry said his eyes not breaking with Malfoy Sr., "Won't happen again."

"Very well," Amelia Bones spoke after clearing her throat, "As Lord Malfoy has so clearly pointed out, the potion must be weakening," Though the tone she used had suggested a complete lack of belief in the theory, everyone who knew anything about truth serum knew Pettigrew was in no condition to fight off its effects in his current state, "Let's quickly finish up with the questions."

"Final question, Mr. Pettigrew," Amelia said firmly, "It has been a long-held belief in this ministry, that Sirius Black was responsible for your death, and the ransacking of your home, along with the severing of your finger. Are any of these assumptions about Lord Sirius Orion Black true?"

"N-no," Pettigrew said trying to fight off the serum as he woke more and more, fighting off the long term stunner.

"Well then," Amelia said with a sigh, "I see no reason why the manhunt for Sirius Black has any need of continuing. Wouldn't you agree, Minister Fudge?"

Harry watched as the pathetic man turned to face Lucius who paid him no mind as the long-haired Blonde was still focused on trying to cast a killing curse with his eyes at Harry. However, another voice broke into the Minister's defense, the same toad-faced woman he had believed that Daphne had silenced, "Minister, there is still the fear that Black was responsible for the kidnapping and disappearance of Harry Potter, which left the wizarding world in shambles for years."

"Oh yeah," Harry said with a smirk, "He definitely was responsible for that. However, lucky for him, kidnapping me as you so less than delicately put it, isn't a crime."

"What do you mean?" Umbridge spoke heatedly, "The removal of anyone against their will, without proper authority is textbook definition of kidnapping."

"First, I was one-year-old. Had he not arrived, I quite possibly would have died, and second, I'm guessing you don't spend much time in the family records room in the ministry. Sirius Black is my Godfather, giving him all the authority he needed to have taken me away from the war-torn country."

"You lie!" Lucius said hissing angrily, "My wife is the last legal descendant of the House of Black, making my son the rightful heir. I don't know what kind of trick you pulled, but I demand retribution for what was rightfully stolen from my house."

"Order!" Amelia said banging the gavel down angrily, "This whole situation about the House of Black can be verified by the self-updating record book. There is no need for-,"

"With all due respect Madam Bones," Daphne said slightly, "And I do truly mean that as you seem to be the only judge here that doesn't seem interested in making this trial a circus. From what I recall, the Black Family was a family that kept house elves in their service. Both Mr. Malfoy, and Harry could call upon the elf, and see to whom it answers."

"A very astute idea Miss Greengrass," Amelia said with a nod, "I will allow it."

Before even giving Lucius a chance, Harry called out, "Kreacher!" With a pop, the floppy-eared elf appeared and bowed deeply.

"How can Kreacher serve Master Harry today?"

"Well, Kreacher. There seems to be a dispute over the heritage of House Black. Who is the current lord of House Black? Don't lie Kreacher."

"Sirius Black, the blood-traitor, and the shame of House Black is the current Lord," Kreacher spat distastefully.

"And who is legally the heir of House Black, Kreacher?" Harry asked, "And why are the Malfoy's not in-line for inheritance?

"Master Harry Potter, is heir to House Black." Kreacher bowed deeply with much more respect to Harry than he had given Sirius, "And the Lady Narcissa Malfoy, of pure and blood, was excommunicated from House Black by Blood-Traitorous Master Sirius Black in 1981 while Mistress Andromeda Tonks was reinstated."

"Thank you Kreacher, that will be all," The elf bowed deeply before popping away and Harry turned smugly back to Lucius, "Any further questions?"

The jury watched in awe as in a fit, Lucius turned his coat before exiting the courtroom, anger ever-present in his face as Harry smiled. However, Harry's face turned a bit more concerned as he turned to see Daphne's questioning eyes. She like all his friends had found out about him being raised by Sirius, but clearly she was not very amused that Harry had forgotten to tell her that he was technically in line for two very powerful Lordships, and he had a feeling that his normal excuse of, _Well, I don't really care that much about it, _would work too well.

Amelia Bones once again took a deep breath as she sighed, "In all my years of being department head I have never seen a case as full of irritating excitement as this one was. Very well, now that all issues of this court have been detailed, we will commence the voting of guilty or innocent for Peter Pettigrew, followed by a vote to remove the manhunt for and pardon Sirius Black."

Harry watched as the first vote, though not all with happy faces unanimously voted guilty on Peter Pettigrew. The realization of his own doom had seemed to finally shock Pettigrew back into his senses just as the words left Madam Bones' mouth, "Peter Pettigrew, for your multitude of crimes we of the ministry sentence you to the veil."

Tears of fear fell down the ratman's cheek as he looked around the room desperate for someone to help him, someone to step in and save him just as the Marauders always would. But nobody moved, some even turned away in disgust as Harry soon felt the eyes of the man that betrayed his family turn to him, "Please! Harry don't let them kill me! I was afraid! I've always been afraid! I didn't want to, but I had no choice! Please, your father wouldn't have wanted this!"

"Maybe he wouldn't," Harry said a small look of sadness in his eyes as he looked at the man as if he was a wounded animal, "But I'm not my father." Through wailed appeals for mercy, Harry watched as Pettigrew was rolled out of the courtroom, the pensive look never leaving Harry's face as he felt Daphne reach out to hold his hand.

However, once again, Madam Bones continued on with the next vote, and while a certain status of pain still stung his heart, Harry knew that mercy wasn't an option, though seeing a man in such a pathetic condition did warrant some pause, his mood brightened as the charges against Sirius were voted to be lifted with a near majority, the only holdout being Umbridge herself. With the votes settled Madam Bones spoke, "By the order of this court, we find Sirius Black innocent of all charges brought against him. If you know where he is Mr. Potter, I encourage you to tell him to meet me at his earliest convenience for his official proof of pardon."

"Funny you should mention that," Harry said with a smile, as from behind closed doors, emerged a surprisingly well-groomed man considering he had just spent much time as a dog in a well-tailored, black, three-piece suit. Harry's grin widened as the crowd gasped, as for the first time in thirteen years, they stood in the presence of Lord Sirius Black.

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**A/N: If I can be honest, I feel that this chapter was the worst one I have ever written for this story. I'm absolute garbage at Politcal-Based scenes and I know there are some masters of it on this website. This story at its core plays to my strengths, I think I'm great at combat choreography and depiction, as well as creating well-paced romances and authentic friendships, court scenes really aren't my strength. With all that said, however, I do hope you still managed to enjoy this chapter, and are excited for what comes next. While I know there is still a certain amount of the school year left, I plan to rapidly quicken the pace as at this point, everything that needed to happen this year has mostly already been completed and I'm already hard at work, plot planning the next book! All of you have been awesome and if you enjoyed, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	28. Chapter XXVIII: A Chance Reunion

**A/N: Late chapter I know, but school started up for me again and while I'm thrilled to be in my last semester of college, it does mean chapter production rates will slow slightly. It also doesn't help that I've been suffering from major writer's block. However, the chapter still arrived so I hope at the very least you all enjoy it. Thank you all so much for over 1K favorites that's simply incredible, and without further ado, let's hop right on into the chapter!**

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Chapter XXVIII: A Chance Reunion

**(Sirius P.O.V)**

It had felt like a lifetime ago since the last time that Sirius had stood in the courtroom of the Ministry. He had remembered coming here once as a child with his father Lord Orion Black, he was after all, in line to inherit the duties of the Ancient and Noble House of Black. The room had filled him with dread at what at one time he almost believed. His father had done well convincing him the Pure-Bloods were superior, and that those of less pure-blood weren't worthy to practice magic. God, what a fool he had been, even though he was young, no more than six at the time, he still felt a sickness in his stomach as he heard about his father's ideal world.

A shudder crept up his spine as he pondered what he could have become had he not met James, or Remus. The sickening thought of his two cousins Narcissa and Bellatrix flashed through his mind before the memory of his brother's face forced him out of his thoughts. His eyes scanned the room finding the place where his birth-father used to sit upon the council, and the seat where the man he considered his real father Fleamont Potter used to sit. He would have loved to continue down the warmer lane of memories, but he always stopped himself. Knowing how it ended, remembering the cottage in shambles, it simply hurt too much.

Thankfully, he had Harry by his side, he knew the boy looked up to him, but Harry's refusal to allow his past to control him had inspired a similar drive in Sirius, and he couldn't help but smile as he glanced at the way Harry stood somewhat protectively over the Blonde Greengrass Heiress. Not in a way that showed a lack of belief in her ability to protect herself, but in a way that showed that he had her back, the same way that James and Lily had looked during the first time the four of them including Remus had faced down the Dark Lord.

He then turned his focus to the crowd. There was so much scum in the stands, even with Lucius gone, Sirius' mind rang with memories of Dumbledore and the Order discussing who would support the Order, and who had pledged their monetary support behind the Dark Lord. However, of all the scum that irked him, the one that bothered him most was the pink-shrouded woman. What she had done to Remus had irritated him greatly, as the visions of what his friend's life may have been like without Sirius' financial support had made his stomach churn in anger.

Yet, there was some amusement to be had, the shocked face amongst the gathered members of the court was certainly photo-worthy, and their jaw-dropped expressions as Sirius marched up to Amelia Bones to collect his pardon formally had sparked within him a shimmer of glee. As Sirius once more turned to the crowds amongst the stands, only one face had given him comfort, the aging face of Augusta Longbottom. It was clear how outnumbered the light was in the grand-sphere, and even with Dumbledore as the Chief-Warlock, more needed to be done.

He had thought back to a conversation he had shared with Remus and Andromeda on Christmas Day. The subject as it had been for months now had been Harry's role in the Prophecy, and what could be done. So badly did Sirius long for the chance to take his Godson's place, Harry deserved a life free of torment and he wanted to be the one to send the Dark Lord to hell himself. But he couldn't be, he wasn't the chosen one and nothing could change that, but there were things that he could change, and Andromeda had brought it to his attention, after Remus had spoken sadly into his mug, "There's a war coming, it's almost certain, and in a way, it's worse than before because now we're all waiting in anticipation."

"He's not back yet Remus," Sirius had responded, "We still have time."

"To do what?" Andromeda had spoken, "I love Harry, I love him like he's my own son, but we all know the devastation that _he_ caused, the magic _he_ wielded. They say Dumbledore was the only man _he_ ever feared, but seeing as Dumbledore never pursued him, it's fair to say the feeling is mutual. Harry, he's exceptionally talented, maybe even a prodigy in his battle tactics and combat magic, but The Dark Lord, he is something else entirely."

"The Prophecy," Sirius spoke slowly, "It spoke of a power that Voldemort knew not, we need to figure out what that is, if we can, perhaps all Harry needs to be capable of doing is surviving long enough to master whatever this 'power' may be. At least that much, I am certain he is capable of."

"And what about us?" Remus queried, "Are we supposed to simply sit there with folded hands as we pray for another miracle?"

"No," Sirius shook his head, "I won't stand idly by and wait for more people to sacrifice themselves in the hopes of delaying _him_. There must be something we can do to help level the field."

"There is," Andromeda spoke, "Though it will take time as it will require you being a free man, and worse, it will require you doing something you definitely will not like." Sirius turned to his cousin, gesturing for her to continue as she nodded, "During the last war, the Order of the Phoenix became one of if not the only force of resistance against the Death Eaters. This was due to the Death Eaters infiltrating and corrupting the ministry from the inside-out, right?"

Sirius and Remus both nodded with gritted teeth, remembering how difficult it was trying to be everywhere at once and fighting with their hands behind their back as they were outnumbered, and much less fortified than their enemy who had the corrupted Ministry behind them.

"So," Andromeda spoke, "I think that the best thing that you can do Sirius, is to take your father's seat on the Wizengamot."

"Andy, I-," Sirius started, "It should be you, I don't have the temperament or-,"

"You'll be fine Sirius," Andromeda spoke, "I'll help in any way I can, but you have to be on the seat, after all, whether you like it or not, you're Orion's son. Not to mention, you're an unmarried Pure-Blood male, which gives you much more respect in the masculine-centric court and more flexibility with forming 'relationships' with another powerful house."

"You're suggesting a political marriage?" Sirius said a bit shocked by his cousin's suggestion, "You of all people who-,"

"I know," Andromeda said tiredly, "It's hypocritical and wrong of me to suggest it, but when I married Ted, it was different, I wasn't part of- I wasn't fighting a war. We need the power in the Wizengamot to keep the Auror Department funded, and not restricted in any way when the war comes, and with you being the regent for House Potter until Harry reaches majority, and the head of House Black, adding one more ring would give you more power than any other house on the Wizengamot, especially with Augusta Longbottom and Madam Bones behind you."

"Sirius," Remus said, "I think that she's-"

"I know," Sirius spat through gritted teeth, "I know she's right, but I don't want this, I've never wanted power, I-"

"Sirius," Andromeda said, and Sirius felt his cousin took his hands in hers, "I know this isn't what you wanted, but you are a voice that people can rally behind. A Pure-Blooded wizard from an Ancient and Noble house standing against The Dark Lord with the Support of the Boy-Who-Lived will certainly help lift people's spirits if- when war begins." Sirius felt his whole body clench as he pondered Andromeda's words, before she had spoken once more with words that filled Sirius with new resolve, "That night, when James died, you swore to me that you'd never fail Harry again. Harry's going to need this, to fight a war we need soldiers, and you can be monumental in ensuring Harry has his army for when all hell breaks loose. "

Sirius released a deep sigh as his body stopped shaking before opening his eyes slowly and nodding, "Okay, I'll do it." There was a moment of silence as Sirius placed his hand to his face, roaming it upwards through his knotted hair, "God I hope there is at least one Pretty Bird on that Wizengamot, because if it's going to be a show marriage, I at least hope she'll be a looker."

"Dog," Andromeda said with a grin shaking her head slightly, "And just because it's a political marriage, doesn't mean it has to be loveless. Maybe you'll get lucky. I'm not demanding anything Sirius, it's just a suggestion."

"I know," Sirius said, "Thanks, Andy." She slowly nodded, and Sirius felt the memory start to fade out of his mind as he once again readjusted himself into the current climate of the courtroom, scanning the stands once more as he adjusted the buttons on his suit.

Sirius cleared his throat as he spoke, "Lords and Ladies of the court, I am thankful and humbled that you have seen reason, and the truth the way it was meant to be seen. The Potters as many may know, were close friends of mine, and the idea of being prosecuted for their murders was a wound that cut me deeply. It is thanks to you, that with time, those wounds can heal, as through your votes to convict the man truly responsible for the betrayal of the Potters, I am now a free man."

Many members of the court clapped politely as Sirius continued with a heavy heart, "For too long, my father's position on the Wizengamot has been occupied by the wrong heir. As current lord of House Black, I demand my seat among the Wizengamot and the removal of the Malfoy family as the Black family proxy. For clarity, once more, I Sirius Orion Black, claim my title formally as Head of House Black."

Instantly, Sirius felt the family ring of House Black materialize upon his left index finger, the weight feeling so unfamiliar to him as he never once imagined after his Hogwarts days that he'd be the one who wore it. Sirius turned to face the Minister who stood up in a mock showing of support as he spoke, "Thank You, Lord Black, I am certain that your family's return to the WizenGamot will be a most welcome addition."

"Thank you Minister," Sirius said with a nod, biting his tongue back from really telling the fat oaf what he thought about his miserable leadership, "But I am not done, as was proclaimed by my Godson before you all minutes ago, Harry James Potter, a minor of thirteen is under my care, and as such, I Sirius Orion Black, claim my title formally as Regent of House Potter until Harry James Potter comes of age, of course, if that's alright with you Harry?"

"Couldn't think of anyone better," Harry said with a chuckle as the Potter Family ring appeared on Sirius' other index finger with Harry's permission.

"Yuck it up Pup," Sirius said with a grin, "But as soon as you turn Seventeen I'm dropping both of these in your lap."

Sirius had to restrain himself from laughing as Harry went as pale as a ghost. The boy was fearless, but the thought of working inside the ministry instead of flying on a broom seemed to terrify him. The look of fear in Fudge's face was near comical as he saw that Sirius' power in the ministry not only had stripped his biggest supporter of his extra vote but now, it was Sirius who held a powerful two votes, and if all went well, he'd control a third through marriage, and a fourth through the alliance with the Longbottoms. However, the Minister held his face firm rising once more as he spoke, "It's an honor to have you rejoin the Wizengamot as Lord of House Black and Regent of House Potter. I will make sure to have all the information about your positions ready as promptly as possible."

"That would be very much appreciated," Sirius said hating every second he was forced to talk in such a formal tone, it had made it even worse that the comical looks of surprise on both Harry and Augusta's face had made it extremely difficult not to break from his Highborn Act.

"While this day has certainly been full of surprises," Amelia said rising from her chair, "I must now depart for the chamber, there is no reason for Pettigrew to remain on Death Row now that he has openly confessed his crimes. Those of the Wizengamot that wish to ratify the death certificate are granted permission to observe, as are those directly affected by the actions of Peter Pettigrew. Everyone else, is free to be dismissed, now who will be the legal witness of the execution?"

"I will," Augusta Longbottom said lifting her wand.

"Very well," Madam Bones said with a nod, "And the second?"

"I will," Said a woman that filled Sirius' heart with surprise. She had been sitting far in the back, unable due to her height to be viewed over the taller members of the Wizengamot, and though it had been years since Sirius had last seen her, her face was unmistakable. Her long braided silver-hair, and remarkably rare violet eyes made it clear to him that there was no confusion.

To his complete disbelief, all Sirius could mutter was, "Vance?"

* * *

**(Sirius P.O.V)**

The death chamber was cold, honestly, Sirius couldn't think of a more apt name for the place. It was empty and dark, a set of ruins on the chamber floor and around it, an auditorium. However, the eerie disposition was nothing compared to the horrors of the veil. The Archway of Death, The one-way door, the executioner's voyage, the veil had so many names between those that had seen its ability, but everyone knew, the veil was a nothing more than a door to death.

Sirius had never seen the veil in person before, and god willing, he prayed he never would have to see it again. He hadn't been sitting there for longer than ten minutes before the awful chamber was having an effect on his head, and worse yet, it seemed to be affecting Harry as well. "Sirius," Harry had begun nervously, "Do you hear… whispers?"

Sirius nodded, his eyes floating back the misty arch as the whispers of those lost to the first great war whispered inaudibly to him. The voices, they couldn't be discerned, understood, or recognized, but it was maddening all the same. Still, it wasn't something everyone could hear, something the Greengrass girl next to Harry quickly confirmed as she spoke, "Voices? What voices?"

"The voices of the veil," A woman's voice called from behind them, "Nobody is able to understand what they're saying, but for those who have witnessed death, the voices whisper, slowly driving the listeners mad. It was for that reason that the viewing chamber was built far from the executioner ruins, too many close calls of 'spectators' hearing something and wanting to jump through themselves. After all, the ministry didn't want too many people leaving the land of the living on their watch so they couldn't sit by doing nothing as they usually do."

"And speaking of the land of the living," The voice spoke gently, "It's good to see you again, Padfoot."

Sirius couldn't help but smirk as he saw the shocked expressions appear upon Harry's face at the woman's knowledge of his secret. However, Sirius just nodded slowly, his eyes still attached to the veil as he replied, "The same could be said for you, Vance."

"Sirius," Harry spoke with confusion, "Who's she?"

"Emmeline Vance," The silver-haired woman spoke politely as she reached for Harry's hand, "I was Sirius' partner during the times of the Order of the Phoenix."

"Sorry," Harry said still mopped with confusion, "I thought my Dad was Sirius' partner during the days of the Order."

"He was," Sirius said with a slight grin, "But then your mum got pregnant with you and things, well they got a bit complicated. Lily was out of the fight, Remus, Dumbledore, even McGonagall all took shifts guarding her while James and I went on assignments. But then, well, you know what was discovered and things changed. You're mum and dad went into hiding, Remus and the Rat were busy with their own assignments from Dumbledore, or so he thought, and so, Miss Vance here became my new partner."

"You make it sound like I was such an inconvenience Padfoot," Emmeline said with a slight smile, "You weren't exactly the easiest partner I ever had either, but when Fenwick passed, well we made do with what we had. We had a good run though."

"We had a short one," Sirius responded solemnly.

"Sirius," Emmeline said softly taking a seat beside him, "You can't tell me you still blame yourself for that. I got careless, it wasn't your fault."

"What happened?" Harry asked his confusion only seeming to grow.

"Bludgeoning hex got me good, right in the head," Vance said lifting her hair up high revealing a rather large scar near her hair-line covered by her silver locks, "Doctors thought I was dead, I probably would have been if Sirius hadn't gotten me to St. Mungos in time. It took a while for me to wake up, but," Vance said cheerfully, "Everything seems to be in working order so I suppose no harm no foul, though losing two years of my life wasn't great."

"Two years?" The Greengrass girl remarked in shock.

"Yeah," She said with a shrug, "Went to bed when there was war, woke up and found out that the war was over. I was pretty pissed though when I started reading about how many deaters avoided capture though."

"Deaders?" The Blonde asked.

"Short for Death Eaters," Vance responded simply before turning back towards Sirius, the feeling of a bucket of cold water washing over him filled his veins as he looked into her violet eyes, "It appears, however, that Sirius believes it to be his fault I was hurt though. Something that is most certainly not the case."

"Though," Vance continued in a melodic tone, "The idea that you had betrayed the Potters was a bitter pill to swallow. I didn't want to believe it, but with you going AWOL on us, I didn't really have any other choice. Do you know how much work you caused me with every reporter coming up to me asking me if I knew my ex-partner was working for the Dark Lord? Honestly, the least you could do is give me a proper explanation of what's been happening over the last decade and a half."

"That might take some time," Sirius said slowly, his normal charisma vanishing from his body. Sirius was a bit of a womanizer in his youth, he broke hearts, he played games, and he avoided commitment like the plague. But being forced to spend time with Vance on missions had made Sirius grow to care more for the witch personally, rather than just gaze in fascination with how large her bosom was. Outside of Andy who was family, and Lily who was essentially family, Vance was quite possibly the only other woman that Sirius had anything more than non-primal feelings for.

However, it was thanks to these feelings that her injury had hit him so hard. The night before the Potters had been attacked, Sirius had visited her at the hospital. He remembered it like it was yesterday, every detail was engraved into his mind like a stone. The heavy layers of bandages around her head, the methodical beeping of her heart-rate on the wizarding alert equipment, the smell of the chrysanthemums in his hand that he left on her bedside as she lay there unmoving. It was a pain that Sirius had hoped would never find him again, and yet it had in less than a day when James and Lily had died.

Sirius had needed to act fast, and in his efforts to protect Harry, he hadn't the time to see his old partner off. Though the New House of Black had helped Sirius through his grieving, his guilt was all-consuming and if it hadn't been for Harry, if he hadn't taken his responsibility to protect his godson so seriously, part of Sirius wondered if he'd still be here today, or would the pain have just gotten to great? Would he simply have given up? However, he couldn't continue down his lane of thoughts much longer as he felt a rib nudge his side slightly, "You looked too thoughtful," Vance said softly, "It isn't like you. I'm not saying you have to tell me everything that's happened these last thirteen years, but you could at least buy me a coffee and explain what you can."

"Alright fine," Sirius said with a small chuckle, "I forgot how pushy you can be."

Emmeline seemed about ready to respond. However, before she had the chance, the door to the death chamber was flung open, and Sirius watched in bittersweet sorrow the defeated body of the man that at one time had been a good friend, strolled in on a heavily restricted trolly. Sirius wasn't sure why it had hurt him so much to see Peter in such a state. He had betrayed James, was responsible for his best friend's death, but part of him, with the anger now subsided, couldn't help but remember the old days of three of them prowling around with Remus on their moonlit adventures.

Sirius watched as the man he had once considered his friend was dragged in front of the veil, his body trembling as the executioner plugged in a rubber covering into his ear in order not to be overwhelmed by the whispers of the dead. "Peter William Pettigrew," Bones called from high above the auditorium, "The ministry has found you guilty of your crimes, you have been sentenced to death, have you any last words, you may speak them now."

"Sirius!" Peter spoke as the gag was removed from his mouth, "Please, you must help me! Please!" The rat then turned to Harry, "Please! Your father, James, he wouldn't want this! He wouldn't want me to die like this! I was scared, Sirius! I've always been scared!"

Sirius bit his lip as he turned away from his fallen friend, his grey eyes locking with Harry's who seemed to be struggling equally with his decision. Vengeance, it had all seemed so simple, so definite, when he and Harry had planned on bringing the Death Eaters to justice it had sounded so easy. But hearing a man beg for his life, beg for mercy, Sirius had found it agonizing to listen to, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for his godson as he closed his eyes, not wanting to see such a pitiful sight.

"Face your death with some courage rat," The executioner said sourly as Peter was removed from the straps but remained in magic binding ropes. The rat had fallen to his knees begging once more for mercy, but before his final plea could even be ushered, a swift kick has sent Peter through the veil, and his body didn't return.

"A coward," Sirius had spoken, the thumping of his heart echoing in his ears, "Until his last breath."

* * *

****(Harry P.O.V)****

It was raining, normally Harry had always loved the rain, but he wasn't in a celebratory mood. He had caught the man that had betrayed his family, he should have been thrilled. His godfather was free, the rat was dead, and his parents at least partially had been avenged. And yet, despite all his accomplishments, he couldn't quite remove the look of terror that rested upon the rat's face from his mind.

Vengeance, for the last year, his heart had yearned for nothing more. To see the Malfoys, Notts, Averys, every single escape death eater brought to justice or killed by his hand was something he was sure was the correct path. All of them had been through so much pain, perhaps it had blinded them to the dangers it could cause. Sirius may have been free now, but Harry had no idea what happened next. He and Remus may have found the rat, but Remus had lost his job and was once again seen as a dangerous beast.

He had heard the expression that when one is out for revenge they should dig two holes, one for their enemy and one for themselves. He didn't exactly feel as awful as the saying would suggest, but he had hoped for something, some kind of sign from his parents to show him he was on the right path. But, as he sat beside the shore of the Great Lake, a flat stone in his hand, he felt more distant from them than ever before.

Avenging his parents was his goal, and when he had completed it, he was sure he'd feel better. He was certain it would bring upon him a level of closure taken from him, yet all he had seemed to find was doubt in his actions and a fear that his parents wouldn't have approved of his plan. Pettigrew was a coward, of that there was no question, but the way he begged for his life, claiming that his father wouldn't have wanted this, Harry wasn't sure if it was a desperate attempt for survival or the truth.

With great dexterity, Harry flicked the stone and watched it skip across the rippling surface of the lake. He turned to face the castle, he had returned with Daphne and while normally he relished every moment to be in her presence, right now he felt he really needed to be alone. He pulled out his wand, and with a flick of it and a muttered incantation, the Crow that had come to him once before with great difficulty now appeared with ease. "I heard all about that when I was talking to Tonks," A Familiar voice called out, "A very impressive display of magic for a boy your age, even for one as talented as you."

"Remus," Harry spoke sadly as he turned to the werewolf, "I'm sorry."

"About what?" Remus spoke seating beside Harry as he looked into the distance.

"You lost your job because I got careless," Harry said, "If we had planned-"

"You are less to blame than I am," Remus said with a soft smile, "I'm supposed to be the cautious one, and yet I foolishly lept into action without a thought. Lily must have been rolling in her grave at seeing me do something so reckless, normally that was left to your father and Sirius."

"My father," Harry said watching the crow dance among the raindrops, "His Patronus was a Stag, right?"

"And your mother's was a doe," Remus spoke in confirmation.

"And yet," Harry said watching his Patronus, "Mine is a bird." Harry felt Remus' eyes rest gently on his shoulder as he continued, "At the trial, Pettigrew begged for his life, he told me that my father wouldn't have allowed him to be sentenced to death, that he would have advocated for a different sort of retribution. I know he might have been lying trying to get me to do something to save his life, but what if he was right? What if I'm so different from my parents and they're so ashamed of me, so ashamed of my ambitions? What if that's why my Patronus isn't a Stag or a Doe like theirs?"

"You are different from your parents, Harry," Remus started and a chill ran through Harry's body, "You think about things more than your father did, you aren't as cautious as your mother used to be, and you most certainly don't share her gift for potions," The last statement did manage to make Harry crack a small smile before returning to a passive stare, "But that isn't a bad thing. Yes, Peter may have been right, perhaps James would have tried to find a different way of handling the situation, but that doesn't mean they are ashamed of you Harry. If there is one thing I know to be certain, it's that James and Lily, they loved you, they loved you more than anything in the world, and if there is a world after this, I guarantee you they love you just as much there."

"But Harry, as much as Sirius and I would love to have James back in our life, you aren't him," Harry looked down at his feet as Remus gently gripped his shoulder, "You're Harry Potter, and you are your own person, and quite frankly, Sirius and I, we couldn't have asked for a better godson and nephew. You have your issues of course, but we all do, and we will work through them all together like a family is supposed to, like we would have done if Lily and James were still with us."

Harry's eyes once more drifted to his Patronus and sighed but Remus pulled a familiar bar of chocolate from his pocket, breaking it in half and sharing it. "Your father, his Patronus wasn't the same as old man Fleamont's either. Your grandfather's at least according to James was a Hawk, it didn't mean that when James had shown his father his stag that he was any less his son, they were just different. James was free-spirited and proud, and Lily, her doe was because of her love for James. But you Harry, you're more like Sirius than James I'm afraid. Mischievous, flirty, clever, headstrong, a bit reckless, and incredibly smart when you put your mind to it, I dare say a crow is quite fitting for you."

"But," Remus said, "Just because you're not a carbon copy of your parents doesn't mean you don't share some traits with them. For example, Lily used to come here a skip rocks all the time when she was stressed out, pissed off about James, or just needed to contemplate life. It was actually here when she told me she had feelings for your dad and then threatened to bludger me with a stone if I told him before she was ready. What I'm trying to say in this roundabout way is that, yes, you may be different from your mom and dad in some ways, but no matter what happens, they will always be so proud that you are their son."

Harry sat there, biting into his chocolate bar as his uncle sat beside him, helping him combat his doubts. He sighed as he looked onto the horizon as he spoke, "So, what happens now?"

"I suppose," Remus said, "I'll be joining Sirius on a little homecoming tour of England until I find another place that is willing to hire me. In the meantime, Professor Dumbledore will be taking over my duties as DADA teacher until he can hire a replacement, who will most likely be fired by the end of next year as seems to be the case. As for you, I suppose for now you continue your lessons with Dumbledore, study hard, and pass the exams at the end of the year. After that, well, we'll see what plans we can arrange for the summer."

Harry turned to face his uncle who seemed to be forgetting the enormous responsibility laid at his feet by the ties of destiny, but Remus must have sensed his hesitation as he spoke, "Harry, I know you feel like you should be doing more, and when there is more to do, we'll handle it. But for now, it's important to live your life. You are the chosen one, of that there is no denying, but you're still a thirteen-year-old boy, and there a plenty of broom cupboard visits, pranks to be played, and friends to be made before conflict arises. I may not be around Hogwarts as often anymore, but I need you to promise me, at least for the time being, you'll enjoy yourself. Okay?"

Harry nodded as his Uncle offered him his hand, "Well, I'm almost packed up, it would be great if you could lend me a hand with the shrinking spells. Plus, it's getting cold out here, it would be rather unfortunate if you caught the flu." Harry simply smiled, and side by side, he walked with his Uncle back into the great Stone Castle. His parents may have had their way of dealing with the threat, but Harry's was different, and somehow he knew his parents would understand.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it's been a while since we say some Sirius so I decided why not, plus we got a bit of backstory and that's always fun. Also, don't worry, this doesn't mean that Harry is going to get softer on his revenge, he still wants every Death Eater brought to justice, but I think it's only human for someone, even someone as confident as Harry to experience some doubt in his actions, especially when the fallout of his choices are difficult to swallow. The point of this chapter really was to show that the main characters still have some room to grow to fully come into their ideas of what they believe to be right and true, and I hope that you will continue to follow Harry on his path of understanding exactly how he wants to deliver his justice. If you enjoyed the chapter, please be sure to Follow, Favorite and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	29. Chapter XXIX: After the Storm

Chapter XXIX: After the Storm

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry leaned against a large stone pillar as he watched Michael pace back and forth in a feverish motion while Hermione continued trying to read, only to swat at Harry's fingers as he tapped against the stone wall. Hermione had left in a tizzy to go and retrieve some new reading material, and Harry and Michael had found themselves once more in awkward silence. The day had finally come for Neville to be released from the hospital wing, and though this was supposed to be merry news, the glint of sadness in his best friend's eyes hadn't changed since the day he left for the Ministry.

Harry had tried to understand what was wrong with his friend, but Michael in his annoying propensity for not trying to burden anyone else with his problems but always being the first to get involved with others had simply given Harry a pitifully weak smile as he spoke, "Nothing's wrong, okay, I'm just thinking."

Harry knew it was a lie, anyone that knew Michael could have known that. Michael was incredibly bright, but outside of playing chess, he didn't necessarily fester on things the way he currently was. Harry had turned to look out the window as with a sigh he spoke, "Corner, something's bothering you, and I think it would help if you talked to me about it."

"Mate," Michael said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "It's fine, you're worrying over nothing."

"I'm worrying over you," Harry corrected, "Look, I know I had a lot of secrets, and it wasn't right for me to keep them from you, but I couldn't do anything else. You're serving this super long detention and I don't even know what you did to get it. I mean, I kinda assumed you're the one who kicked the shit out of Boot, but you haven't spoken about it at all. If this is some way of getting back at me for not telling you-"

"I'm telling you I'm fine, okay!" Michael snapped before bringing himself back to his passive trouble making look, "It's nothing serious, and I'm not trying to get revenge or something, I get why you did what you did, it's just, it's not your problem so just drop it, please."

"You're hurting," Harry said, "Even if it's not serious, which I doubt, whatever it is, it's hurting you, and I can't just sit there and do nothing."

"And why is that?" Michael spoke his eyes looking down at the ground not wanting to face him.

"Because you're my friend, and when you hurt, I hurt," Harry said his eyes staying locked on the view of the horizon, "I know that's some sappy crap, but I can't just keep watching you sulk about. Just tell me what happened, please."

"Susan," Michael spoke, "It was just a stupid crush, it didn't really mean much of anything, but she was the first friend I made at Hogwarts, or at least she was the first person who didn't see me as a free pass in class or a no-good trouble maker." Harry turned to face his friend as he took a deep breath and continued, "I saw him, Boot, he was with Megan Jones, and they were doing broom closet stuff."

"He was cheating on Bones with Jones," Harry said showing his understanding of the story.

"I don't know why, maybe it was just a fit of anger, or a desire to defend my friend, but I lost it and really, well as you put it, kicked the shit out of him," Michael sighed, "Flitwick caught me and I was assigned a pretty sizable detention though I suppose it could have been worse. Still, Boot had said so many awful things about Susan, but when he woke up, he acted like an innocent wounded puppy. I tried to explain myself to Susan, but she wouldn't even hear me out."

Michael's fist was clenched into a tight fist as he spoke, "She said she wanted nothing more to do with me, and that we couldn't be friends anymore because I had let my jealousy get the best of me. I tried to do a good thing, and the universe really kicked me in the balls."

Harry sat there watching the sadness in his friend's eyes. Outside of his family, the first friend that he had ever made was Michael, and just trying to understand what it would feel like if he had gone out of his way to protect his friend only to be dropped like he was nothing, sure maybe it wasn't like watching someone die, but it was painful, and Harry felt like there was nothing he could do to help his friend. Instead, all Harry could do was give a slight smile as he reached out for Michael's shoulder, "Sorry dude, that's… tough, to say the least. But you've still got me and Nev, and we'd never abandon you like that. Maybe Susan wasn't the one, but I mean, whoever she is will come around, I just know it."

Michael chuckled, "That's easy for you to say, you already got your bird."

"What do you mean?" Harry said in confusion, technically, he and Daphne weren't dating yet, and even so, Harry didn't quite feel like much had really changed.

"You and the Princess," Michael said with a shrug, "You have a little thing going. I know it's not official or anything because if it was you'd be soaring around on your broom announcing it to the world, but something's changed. She leans into you whenever you're around, I've seen her staring at you, she lingers now instead of just heading off like she used to. She actually laughs at your jokes now which is pretty terrifying as I didn't think the Ice Queen was capable of a genuine laugh. I'm not saying I'm in a rush to find the one, but it doesn't sound as sincere coming from someone who was lucky enough to have found his person at the age of thirteen."

"You are… scarily perceptive, you know that?" Harry said with a grin, "Look, maybe Daphne's the one, maybe she isn't, and god do I hope she is, but right now I'm not too concerned with the future seeing as there's so much time between now and when I turn seventeen let alone normal marrying age. The point is, you've just got to give it some time, you know?"

"Yeah," Michael said with a shrug, "Like I said, I know it was just a crush, and thirteen is a bit young to find your soul-mate and all that, but I think it just hurt so much because I had to see another person walk away from me. I mean, my dad hardly seems to acknowledge anything but my failures, and my mom, she loves me and all, but she doesn't really seem to understand what it feels like to have one of your own parents act like they don't want you around. I didn't really have anyone to lean on besides Susan until you and Nev, and watching her walk away from me, it hurt, it hurt really bad."

Harry stared down at his friends with sunken eyes, "You've never told me about your life at home. I assumed it wasn't pleasant but this is the first time you've ever said anything about your folks that wasn't related to your grades."

"Guess I did?" Michael said with a sad smile, "Whoops. There goes my last secret, don't go letting everyone know though, I don't really want the broken home pity, I'm fine, really, it's just-"

"I could say some sappy shit and we could keep talking about our feelings, but do you want to hug and call it a day?" Harry said with a weak grin understanding his friend's desire to not want to talk any longer.

"Yeah," Michael said, "That sounds good."

As the two broke apart from their hug, Harry lifted his fist and pointed it towards his friend, "Hey Corner, remember what you told me the day the dementors attacked Hogsmeade," Corner looked at him in slight confusion as he spoke, "Not a chance, you said, we stay together. You're my best friend Corner, I won't walk away from you."

"Right," Michael said bumping their knuckles, "Now can we stop with all this heartfelt junk, I might actually cry if we keep it up."

"That sounds like a challenge to me," Harry said with a chuckle, "Look, I don't know if I'm moving now that Sirius is free, but wherever I go, you'll have a bed there waiting for you. You don't have to get by on your own."

Harry grinned as he saw his friend turn away swiftly wiping his eyes as he nodded. Harry had been planning on making a joke to lighten the mood, but before he had gotten a chance, the door to the infirmary flung open, and out walked two people, both Neville, and Ron. As Harry watched Ron, he couldn't help but feel as if a weight had just been placed on his heart, the boy seemed healthy enough, but his eyes were forever changed from being subjected to so much pain.

Swallowing hard, Harry walked towards Ron, "Hey, Ron, are you-"

"Please don't ask if I'm okay," Ron said with a weak grin, "It's the only question I've been asked for days, and honestly I'm kind of over it." His smile grew slightly as he spoke, "Though it doesn't look like I'll be getting my rat back, will I?"

Harry shook his head slightly and Ron shrugged, "Oh well, guess I'll have to find a way to live without a pet Dark-Wizard. I don't suppose you could do the same spell to my owl, it would be a shame if I got beat up by both my pets."

Harry smirked slightly as he shook his head, "Sure, though I'm pretty sure you're in the clear," his face then grew more solemn, "I'm sorry you got hurt because of me, I was reckless and you were a victim of my lack of thinking."

"It's fine, I get," Ron said with an easy look that had deeply shocked Harry.

"You- you get it?" Harry said with a stutter, Ron had always seemed very immature and part of Harry had expected for Ron to throw him through the wringer for his actions, but the fact Ron stood there calmly and claimed to have understood Harry's action was more than a bit surprising.

"Yeah, I mean, Scabbers- er, Pettigrew, he was kinda responsible for your parents' murders right?" Ron spoke softly to which Harry nodded in confirmation, "If I had the same chance, if I had the opportunity to kill the Heir of Slytherin, the person that took Ginny, I don't think I would have stopped myself either, even if you or anyone else is around."

Harry couldn't help but allow a completely flummoxed expression come over his face as Ron nodded, "That being said, next time I'm in the crossfire like that, at least give me a warning to get out of the way. I'm not looking forward to feeling that curse again, alright?"

"So, um, we're good?" Harry asked cautiously.

"Look," Ron said with a sigh, "I really wanted to hate you, part of me still can't get over it. When we were really young, Ginny, she used to read every single one of those stupid books about you. Stories of you battling dragons, hunting down Dark Wizards, solving mysteries, I think every book ever written about you is in my house somewhere."

Harry listened to the red-head continued, "When Ginny- when she died, Dumbledore didn't really tell us much about what had happened, only that she had been writing into a cursed Diary that possessed her. When we had seen the diary, my whole family just watched in pain, but as he opened it, I managed to glimpse one page, and I saw that of all people, she wrote about you. You didn't even exist as far as I knew, you dropped off the face of the earth and yet your name was written in the diary that got her killed."

"When I saw you come to Hogwarts, and defend the snakes," Ron said tiredly, "I just got angry, and then you beat me in quidditch, and I just wanted to scream about how unfair the world was, and how it was all your fault. But I met someone, a real friend, and I've just been talking about my anger and pain, and she's been helping me accept something I've known all along but didn't want to accept, none of what happened to me is your fault." Ron gave one more tired look, "So yeah, we're good, and sorry about being a dick, you really didn't deserve it."

Harry watched in amazement as Ron simply walked away without another word as Corner and the newly released Neville stood beside him looking equally surprised, "Do you think that maybe he hit his head really hard when he fell?" Corner asked completely confused as to what he had just witnessed.

"No," Harry said shaking his head, "I think he meant everything he said."

* * *

****(Daphne P.O.V)****

Daphne yawned loudly as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, since the moment she had discovered that there was a real chance at saving Blaise, she had thrown herself into her work relentlessly. Every theory on the application of the soul was at war with Daphne as she tried to commit each and every aspect to memory in case she needed to know it.

She doubted that she would have ever taken a break had it not been for Harry coming in to, "Annoy" her as he teasingly put it. However, it was probably thanks to Harry that she hadn't run herself completely into the ground. Still, the challenge before her had seemed so monumental, and with the end of the year exams inching ever closer, the work pile only seemed to grow. She was far too proud to allow herself to achieve anything below an E, and so Daphne's neutral state became one of exhaustion.

However, unlike before, today she had a rather pesky visitor in the library with her today as she tried to work only to be interrupted by a low groan, "This is impossible," Astoria had said tiredly, "How am I supposed to remember all of these constellations? Who even cares if I can see Orion's belt or not, I mean honestly, how does this help me become a better witch."

"More studying, less complaining," Daphne said simply as she tried to continue to read only to be interrupted once more.

"Harry is much more fun to study with," Astoria said with her cheeks puffed out, "You're so serious."

"You can always go study with him," Daphne said tiredly.

"He doesn't really know much about Astronomy though," Astoria said, "Can you help me please?"

"Fine," Daphne said with a sigh as she approached her sister's side of the table looking at the star graphs, "Alright, the trick to memorizing the star graphs isn't necessarily to memorize every shape on the graph but instead their placement towards a reference point. Personally, I like to choose Orion's Belt as it's an easy constellation to identify. Then I start to create notes like how on this star graph, I see that Cassiopia is just right of the Belt, while Ursa Major is to the left. Then you can create some word associations and eventually you'll memorize it. You can't just stare at something and hope to remember it, you have to think things through."

"Thanks Daph," Astoria said with a smile, "That really helped. But I have one more question that's maybe a bit more important."

"Astoria," Daphne said with a scowl, "I swear to god if you ask-"

"So are you and Harry and thing now, because if you are, first, congrats, and second, you suck for not telling me." Daphne sent her sister a passive glance as she turned back to her book causing her to moan, "Aw come on, why are you two being so cagey about it. From you, I'd expect it, but Harry hasn't said anything about it and it's driving me crazy. Please tell me, please."

Daphne looked into the kaleidoscopic puppy dog eyes of Astoria and cursed silently at how good that stare was at ripping through her icy persona as she sighed, "We're not a couple yet, but-"

"But?" Astoria asked with eager excitement.

"But we've already kissed, twice, and once I find a way to help Blaise I'm willing to try going out with Harry," Daphne looked up at her sister who was nearly bouncing in her seat with excitement as she sighed, "There, happy now? I honestly can't believe Harry didn't tell you anything."

"He said it was up to you to decide when you were ready," Astoria said with a smile, "That's why I came to bug you instead, you know I hate not knowing things."

"You're impossible," Daphne said shaking her head a slight smile on her face.

"But you love me," Astoria said with a grin, "Come on, admit it, you love me."

"Yes Astoria, I do love you," Daphne said with the roll of her eyes, "You have been spending way too much time around Harry. You even have his troublemaker grin now." The door to the library cracked open and as Daphne viewed the entering figure she couldn't help but smile slightly as her heart pumped a bit faster. Pretending not to care, she turned her attention back towards her book and with a whisper she spoke, "Speak of the devil and he shall appear."

It hadn't taken long until Daphne felt the warm arms of Harry wrap gently around her neck as he stood protectively behind her with a smile on his face. Daphne felt his chin lower to the top of her head before she looked up catching his emerald green eyes in her icy blues. The smirk on Harry's face simply grew as Daphne spoke, "You know this is the library right, Flyboy? The quidditch pitch is outside."

"Didn't think I'd find you on the quidditch pitch though Princess," Harry said with a smile as he conjured a bookmark, placing it between her open pages and closing it shut, "Break time, come on, let's go get some dinner."

"How's Neville doing?" Daphne asked trying to break the flow of the conversation.

"He's doing good," Harry said, "And I'll tell you all about my day after we get out of this awful place and go to where the delicious food is."

"I just need to finish this last chap-,"

"Nope," Harry said now taking the book and placing it behind his back leaving only one arm around her, "It's dinner time, you can read later. Right now, you need a break."

"I hate you," Daphne said with a soft grin.

"Yeah, yeah, Princess, I hate you too," Harry said before Daphne looked to see her sister who was simply beaming with excitement. Harry then caught her little sister's eyes as he smiled, "You came here to bother her into telling, didn't you?"

Astoria grinned, "Guilty as charged."

Harry smiled as he shook his head, "Alright Short-Stack, lead the way, I'm starving."

"You're always starving," Daphne said with a chuckle.

"Whatever Princess," Harry said with a grin, "As long as I still look as delectable as I do now, what's the problem?" Daphne simply shook her head, and together, the three of them left for the great hall, and as Daphne felt her stomach growl, she had turned to Harry and decided that maybe a break wasn't such a bad idea.

* * *

**(Sirius P.O.V)**

Sirius stood solemnly as the rain poured heavily from the clouds above, his eyes locked on the large, looming place that was at one point his home and at a later part his prison. He had spent so many unhappy years in this place, desperate to leave, and now that he had returned, the darkness that crept from the building was palpable. "We don't have to move back here you know? We can stay in America," Remus had spoken softly.

"This is an ancient and noble house, it's designed with wards and fail-safes I can't even fathom," Sirius had said, "With Voldemort's return on the horizon, the Order of the Phoenix is going to need a new base, a large one that is well protected and central to the action. Even with the Floo Network, and Kreacher moving people, the response rate would be slower than simply apparating. Plus, we'll be closer to Harry this way and in the long run, I feel this place would be a better base of operations."

"Alright," Remus said with a sigh, "What's the plan?"

"Well," Sirius said, "I suppose the first thing I need to do is clear out all the shit my ancestors left in here, too many dark objects for any household good or bad. Then, we'll need to furnish the place and change the ghastly wallpaper, I was thinking something neutral and united, and then, well I suppose I need to decide on a secret keeper."

"Any thoughts on who?" Remus spoke.

"I don't know yet," Sirius spoke, "In theory, Albus is the strongest of us and least likely to have this place exposed if he's killed, but I still don't trust him completely."

"What about Harry?" Remus spoke with a shrug causing Sirius to look at his friend in confusion, "Think about it, if the danger of the Fidelius Charm is that if the original secret keeper dies then everyone who knew the secret become a secret keeper, then making Harry the secret keeper makes perfect sense because if Harry falls, then the fight is kind of well, pointless."

"It's a dark way of seeing things," Sirius said grimly, "But while the fidileus charm can't be broken through normal legilimency, Harry's connection to Voldemort isn't normal, I don't think it's worth the risk?"

"Then who?" Remus spoke tiredly.

"How about you, Moony," Sirius turned to face his friend, "You've been by my side since we were kids, and I know that both Harry and I trust you with our lives."

"Are you certain Sirius," Remus asked in shock, "I mean, I-," But Sirius silenced his friend's worries as he nodded before the silence was broken by the beeping of a charm he had set on his watch which forced Remus to grin, "Don't let me hold you up, don't want you being late for your date with Vance."

"It's not a date Remus," Sirius said, "She's an old comrade, that's all."

"Yes, and she's the only woman outside of Lily whose fate deeply pained you," Remus spoke gently, "It's alright to be honest with yourself, you've done a great job raising Harry, but you should take care of yourself too. You deserve to be happy Sirius."

Sirius turned his head away from his friend, "Don't get all mushy on me Moony, I'll um, see you later." Remus nodded, and with a pop, Sirius apparated.

* * *

****(Sirius P.O.V)****

_A muggle coffee shop, really Vance, _was all Sirius could think to himself as he straightened out his white button-down shirt and dark blue jeans. He had been thankful for living in America, at the very least it had made him much more familiar with the muggle environment, still Sirius would have much rather preferred a trip to the three broomsticks over O'Hare's coffee, a small little coffee shop in London.

Sirius had begun looking around, the feeling of being so far out of his element beginning to creep under his skin, until a rush of pounding blood raced to his head as he was a man in a tailored three-piece suit leaning over the table at Vance, "Come on love," The man said shadily, "It'll be fun, my buddy owns a club just down the road, I can get you in V.I.P."

"Sorry," Vance had spoken calmly, "I've already told you once that I'm waiting for someone and I'm not all that interested in going to your friend's club. Now if you'll excu-"

"Now wait a minute doll-" The man said reaching for Vance's arm, but Emmeline didn't give him much mind as with her magic, she shot a quiet volt of electricity through the man's hand, enough to have clearly shocked the man's arm out of functioning but not enough to paralyze it permanently as it fell loosely by his side.

"Well," Emmeline spoke with mock patience, "I'm waiting."

"My arm," The man spoke in a quiet panic, "What did you do to my arm?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Vance said with a rather practiced look of ignorance, "Are you hurt? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

"I know it was you," The man said angrily, "It felt like lightning running through my body."

"Oh dear, that sounds horrible," Vance then waved down the waiter, "I'm sorry to be a bother, but I think you need to call for an ambulance, this man's arm seems to have stopped working and we don't really know why. He claims I did something to him so I think he might also be becoming delusional. Please call the paramedics, and remove him from the premises, he's frightening me."

Sirius watched the way Vance played with her hair and swayed the teenaged young man into doing exactly what she said as he shook his head and walked towards the table, taking a seat across from her as he smirked, "You've gotten very good at your defenseless young woman routine, have you been practicing?"

"I have no idea what you mean," Emmeline said with a playful smirk, "In the muggle-world, I'm just a delicate flower."

"An in our world you're an ex-Auror who put away her fair share of dark wizards," Sirius said with a playful grin of his own.

"Not as much as I would have liked before the ministry went and made a muck of things," Emmeline said with a sigh, "But that isn't what this day is supposed to be about, it's supposed to be about you and I falling deeply in love."

"I don't think that's what I agreed to," Sirius said with a chuckle to which Emmeline laughed as well.

"Pity," Vance said with a shrug and mischievous grin, "But I suppose you're right once again, so straight to business then, what have you been up to for the last Thirteen Years, Mr. Black?"

"Vance-," Sirius started but Emmeline stopped him.

"Can you not call me by my last name," She said with a sigh, "It reminds me of when we were on missions, I don't want this to feel like work. Call my Emmy, or Em, of really anything but Vance, okay?"

"Alright, Em," Sirius started, "I guess it'll just be easier to start from the beginning, but before we start, perhaps we can get some coffee first." Emmeline nodded and Sirius watched as the silver-haired beauty left the table towards the register, paying for the drinks and returning with two cups in her hand and a smile beautiful enough to make Sirius' heart skip a beat.

He had never really focused on Emmeline's beauty before, no, that was a major lie, he had recognized it many times, but always fought against it. It was dark times, people were dying every day and Sirius had wanted to remove all chances of attachment to his new partner in case the worst had happened. However, that had clearly failed as Sirius had nearly felt the need to vomit in panic after receiving the news that the Medi-Wizards were unsure if they could save her when he had brought her to St. Mungos that fateful night.

The words of Remus were still ringing in his head as he watched Emmeline wave her hair behind her shoulder elegantly, but knowing that war was coming, part of Sirius worried what getting attached once more could cause, he didn't think he could go through the grief all over again, he didn't want to. Still, Emmeline's smile had brought a certain calm to his heart and stillness to his mind as he accepted his coffee, his hand gently brushing against her soft skin as they touched, and with a patient tone of her normally cautious demeanor she spoke, "Well, whenever you're ready."

"Right," Sirius spoke with a nod taking a sip of his coffee, "Well, I guess it all started when Voldemort attacked the Potter's cottage…"

* * *

**A/N: I know that not much happened for moving the plot forward, but next chapter we'll have a pretty good time jump so I thought I'd just do a little after the storm of events chapter. I really hope you like Harry and Michael's conversation, I had been reading many comments saying how they weren't really a fan of Susan's character and while I originally had a plan to redeem her, I got inspired by a different idea you will see later on. Also, you know I had to include another FlyboyXPrincess moment for all of you, and I thought it was apt to end it with Sirius and Remus.**

**Since I know I'm already going to get complaints if I don't address it, and I know people aren't patient enough to wait until the next chapter before they give me shit, no, obviously Sirius isn't going to tell Emmeline everything like the Prophecy. He may like her and did trust her as his Order Partner in the past, but he's not going to reveal such sensitive information.**

**With all that being said, I really do hope you enjoyed this chapter, with school starting, chapter postings are going to become a little more infrequent but I'll always aim to have at least one chapter out a week, hopefully, two if I have the time. Now then, if you enjoyed this chapter, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	30. Chapter XXX: Valentine's Day

**A/N: Small change made to Dumbledore's proposition to make it seem more Dumbledore-ish. My first rendition brought my point across, but it did so far to bluntly for someone like Dumbledore. With that hopefully fixed, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

Chapter XXX: Valentine's Day

**(Neville P.O.V)**

"_Stupefy!" _Neville roared as Michael rolled out of the way of his latest attack. With a wave of Michael wand, a bolt of fire released from the tip and acting quickly Neville held his ground as he muttered, "_Aguamenti!"_

A jet of water gushed from the tip of his wand, dousing the flame, but the steam from the impact had covered his eyes as instantly, he felt himself flying back as Michael had landed a knockback jinx under the veil of the mist. Still, Neville wasn't done yet as Michael cast _fumos_ to hide his movement Neville whipped his wand in a circle as he roared, "_Ventus!" _

Their small training room felt like the eyes of a hurricane as the smoke was dispelled, and yet, Michael had disappeared until Neville felt the cold tip of Michael's wand to the back of his neck. He could nearly hear the grin on Michael's face as his friend whispered, "Drop the wand."

But Neville wasn't quite ready to give up, and quickly, he kicked his foot back, sweeping the ground out from under Michael's feet causing his friend to lose balance. He had been hoping for Michael to fall, but he was a quidditch player and his reflexes were fast. Quickly, Michael adjusted his stance and in a roar, he and Michael bellowed, "_Expelliarmus!" _

Instantly, two strings of glowing red light connected as Neville grit his teeth, taking a step forward as Michael did the same. Of the four matches they had shared today, Michael had been up on him by one, and Neville wanted nothing more than to tie things up. With fortitude, Neville continued pouring his magic through his wand, the magic heating the wood in his hand as his arm began to shake from the strain.

A broad grin rose to Neville's face as he saw his jet of light overpowering his friend, _A little longer_, he thought to himself desperately as sweat beat down his brow, and then to his immense confusion, Michael flicked his wand up, breaking the connection as with mind-blowing speed, he side-stepped the incoming spell. Before Neville could even get into a position to counter, a bolt of red light struck him in the chest as Michael grunted, "_Stupefy!" _And with a thud, Neville fell to the ground.

He watched motionlessly as his friend walked over, sweat dripping through his Ravenclaw muscle shirt as he pointed his wand to Neville's chest muttering, "_Rennervate,"_ and instantly, Neville felt his body loosen as he reached for Michael's offered hand, pulling himself up with a groan as Michael nodded, "Good match, you're definitely getting better."

"Still couldn't beat you twice though," Neville said unsatisfied with how the duel had ended.

"It was close though," Michael said honestly, "You're stronger than me, that's for sure, I was giving that disarming charm all I had and you were still overpowering me. I was just faster is all, it's something you need to look out for. You may not be all that quick with a wand Nev, but you hit like a truck that's for sure."

"A truck?" Neville asked in confusion.

"Right," Michael said shaking his head, "Pureblood families, a truck is like a big car."

"Why don't they just call it a car?" Neville continued in his query.

"Don't know," Michael said with a shrug, "But one thing's for sure, Harry and I definitely need to get you out into the muggle world more often this summer. I mean, you gotta know a lot about them if you want to get with Hermione and all that."

"W-what?" Neville said blushing heavily, "I- I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Right," Michael said with a cheeky grin as Neville playfully shoved him before the two took a seat on one of the benches they had brought in months ago. Neville pressed his water bottle to his lips as he drank quickly, his throat feeling as dry as a desert from exhaustion before he let out a tired sigh.

"Any news on where Harry is?" Neville said in wonder, "He normally doesn't miss any chance to duel us."

"I think he's with Dumbledore right now," Michael said slowly, "Not really sure exactly what kind of special training he's receiving but he's been getting more of it since the Pettigrew thing. I guess it makes sense though seeing as he's a big shot with a lot of enemies and all that."

"Doesn't that make us targets by association?" Neville said as he took another sip from his water bottle.

"I guess," Michael said, moving off the bench onto a couch they had stolen from Filch's office with the help of Fred and George, "Why do you think I've been so insistent on training, I don't want to be dead weight if more dementors of worse comes knocking."

"I've actually been thinking about that," Neville said, "I mean, the last time I saw Harry use the Patronus Charm he could barely make a mist, and now, somehow he made one that killed 100 dementors. I know we probably won't be seeing more dementors in the future as the ministry probably won't want to leave Azkaban even more unguarded than it already is, but it would be nice to have the Patronus Charm in our back pockets."

"I guess we can try to ask Harry to teach us the spell over the summer," Michael said with a shrug, "Astoria claims he's a great teacher, though if Harry believes that is a completely different story, but I'm sure if we twist his arm enough he'll show us how to do it."

"Maybe we should get Astoria to pester him," Neville said with a chuckle, "She's mastered the art of getting what she wants out of Harry."

The two boys laughed as the plans of their summer slowly began getting shaped, and as January turned to February, and with the end of the year exams approaching ever closer, Neville couldn't help but feel thankful that he had friends.

* * *

****(Harry P.O.V)****

Harry sat on the ground of the Headmaster's office, his hands rested knuckle to knuckle like a meditating monk as he took slow, deep breaths. As the plan between him and Daphne to try and save Blaise came closer and closer to fruition, practicing both Occlumency and Legilimency became more important than ever. Unlike before, this time Daphne had given him a book, _Mastering the Mind_. In the book, it had stated that meditative stances help calm and focus the mind against mental attacks, and seeing as his occlumency skills were far weaker than his legilimency, and knowing how important it was that he master both disciplines as best he could, Harry had decided to give it a try.

Harry could hear his heart pounding softly in his chest as he kept his eyes closed, the soft chirping of Fawkes and the slow pacing of Dumbledore were the only sounds from the outside. With the knowledge and reminder of Voldemort's presence in his head thanks to the agony he felt in the presence of the dark mark, his motivations to master the arts had grown stronger than ever. With his resolve strengthened and with a relaxed presence of mind, he took a deep breath and prepared himself as Dumbledore spoke, "_Legilimens." _

Instantly, the presence of Dumbledore in his mind was felt as he watched from a bird's eye view as the powerful wizard walked around his twisted mansion mindscape. Harry continued to focus solely on his breathing as he felt Dumbledore's hand rest upon the handle of one of the rooms many doors. Unlike before where Harry was constantly reacting, this time, his mind stilled, the beating of his heart centered him as he watched Dumbledore twist the handle and pull only to face a locked door.

A feeling of pride swelled in Harry's chest as he saw Dumbledore look up at him as if he could see him through his mindscape and smiled, "Very well done, though this is merely a stage above passive legilimency. Let's see how long you can withstand an all-out assault."

Harry nodded as he watched Dumbledore lift his wand. Slowly, he moved his hands into a prayer-like position, and with a deep exhale he prepared for the Old Man's assault. A slash of Dumbledore's wand had caused the whole room to shake as a black mark appeared on the door like a sword had been taken to it. But Harry refused to be rattled taking only another breath and returning his focus to his defense. Another swipe, followed by another calming breath, Harry had lost count of how many attacks Dumbledore had thrown at the door, and Harry wasn't sure how much longer his defense could last. He needed to push the man out of his mind, and focusing hard on the situation, he remembered the conversation he had with Daphne a few days prior…

"_Flyboy," Daphne had snapped in his face waking him out of his stupor as he used the advantage of his access to Dumbledore to allow him into the restricted section of the library for more information, "Pay attention, this is important."_

"_I know," Harry had said with a yawn as he wrapped his arms around Daphne's waist, forcing her head to rest against his chest as he held her close in their privacy, "I heard you, it's just, I'm so tired."_

_A surprising look of empathy washed over Daphne's face as Harry felt her look up at him, "Sorry," She had said softly, "I know that you were with Dumbledore for hours yesterday and had practice today, I just- I really want to help Blaise and-" She took a breath, stopping her rambling before she spoke once more, "If you want to stop for today, I get it."_

"_And miss out on my time alone with you, without detective Astoria" Harry had said with a grin, "Not a chance." _

_Harry watched as Daphne's eyes lit up, a sign that she had remembered something, and with a whisper she spoke, "Dobby." A pop echoed quietly through the room, and Harry watched as a House Elf appeared before them, bowing deeply as it jittered with excitement upon being summoned._

"_Dobby is here to help Miss Greeny," The elf had said musically, only to be given a gentle hush by Daphne allowing the elf to realize they were currently in the library after curfew, "Sorry Miss Greeny," Dobby had said softly, "Dobby will be quiet."_

"_That's alright Dobby," Daphne had spoken before Harry's glance had finally be recognized by her, "Oh right," Daphne had said quietly, "You two haven't met, Harry this is my friend Dobby, and Dobby this is my friend Harry."_

"_Just a friend Princess," Harry said with a playful smile only to be ribbed gently by Daphne who smirked._

"_Don't push it Flyboy, I'm trying to do something nice for you," Daphne had said softly before turning back towards the elf, "Dobby, can you bring us two cups of Cinnamon Tea please?"_

_Dobby nodded and with another pop, he vanished causing Harry to chuckle, "He's certainly much more energetic than my House Elf, I didn't actually know you had one Princess?"_

"_I don't," Daphne had spoken softly, "Dobby, he's not my servant, he's my friend. He's actually a recently freed elf."_

"_I thought Elves hated being free," Harry had said, "Wait, you said recently freed, who owned him before?"_

"_The Malfoy's," Daphne had spat out in anger, "They treated him awfully, I swear if I had my way I'd-"_

_But before Daphne could continue her rant, Dobby had reappeared, two warm cups of Cinnamon tea in his hand happily handing it over to both he and Daphne before apparating away without a chance for either of them to thank the elf. Daphne watched him intently as Harry stared into the tea and Harry couldn't help but ask, "What are you looking at?"_

"_Have you ever had cinnamon tea before?" Daphne asked and Harry quickly shook his head, "It's my favorite tea, I kinda just want to see what your reaction to it is."_

"_You're a strange girl, you know that Princess?" Harry had said with a chuckle but Daphne was unphased as she watched Harry sip the tea. Thankfully, he had enjoyed it immensely which caused Daphne to grin slightly before turning back to book and continuing._

"_Now that we have some caffeine in our systems," Daphne had said, "Let's keep going." Harry nodded wrapping his free arm around Daphne once more as she read, "It says here that when defending against Legilimency, the defendant, if skilled enough in Occlumency, can create a protector in their minds, a physical human-like representation of defense that is efficient at removing invaders from a person's psyche."_

"_Yeah, I've seen that before," Harry confirmed with a nod, "Dumbledore has one of-," But he stopped himself, "Actually, he probably wouldn't be happy if I started sharing his mental defenses. It would be cool to make one though, I imagine it's super hard though."_

"_Surprisingly," Daphne had spoken, "It doesn't seem like it is, I mean, it says it takes up an immense amount of magic to physically manifest a protector in one's mind, but a person skilled enough in Occlumency should be able to create a protector if their familiarity with the protector is one of absolute trust and care pretty easily. It's a simple as adding the protector to one's mindscape like one add a locked door. However, it does say that focusing on a protector should be the last resort as it weakens all other mental defenses due to the stress it places on the mind."_

_Focus_, Harry had thought to himself, the banging on Dumbledore's spell against his mental door ringing him out of his memory. Once more, Harry closed his eyes and focused solely on his most prized possession, a picture he had received from Sirius of his mother and father dancing on their wedding day. Every detail of his parent's face that he could recall, the differences in their heights, the smiles they bore, Harry focused on all of it until in shock he heard Dumbledore whisper, "Lily and James?"

Harry watched as his two conjured mental protectors placed one hand on each of Dumbledore's shoulders before with a push they forced Dumbledore out of Harry's mind. Instantly, Harry felt Dumbledore stumble backward, catching himself on his desk as Harry, strained from the mental fortitude broke from his meditative stance and collapsed on his back, panting heavily. Dumbledore slowly regained his balance as he approached Harry, the twinkle in his eyes beaming with pride as he nodded causing Harry to smile weakly, "Hey, I finally pushed you out of my head."

Dumbledore nodded, "It was very well done Harry." The old man spoke with a gentle smile, "I certainly wasn't expecting you to be able to project a guardian already. Your progress has been astounding, to say the very least."

Harry chuckled to himself before he let out a tired sigh asking the question he was dreading, "How much of your full power were you using, Professor?"

Harry watched as Dumbledore's face sunk slightly only to nod and answer, "Only twenty-five percent, maybe thirty." Harry clenched his fist in frustration as Dumbledore spoke, "Harry, do not beat yourself up. When we first began our lessons, I was able to breakthrough with only passive legilimency, for someone who isn't a natural Occulemns, you are improving at a remarkable rate."

"I know that," Harry said his fist still clenched in frustration, "But I have to do better than twenty-five percent, I need to be able to stop Voldemort, I can't let him into my head, I can't put everyone at risk because I'm not strong enough."

"Harry you have grown exponentially in such a short time," Dumbledore spoke, "And there is still time left to train. I wouldn't concern yourself with the risk of failure quite yet, do not lose hope, while natural-born Occlumens such as Professor Snape may have the ability to defend even against the most difficult mental attacks with low to moderate difficulty. For people such as you and I Harry, the process takes some time, but I promise you, we will get there. For now, you should rest, I will not have Professor McGonagall complaining to me of you falling asleep in her class on my behalf."

Harry grinned as he pushed himself to his feet heading towards the exit of the Headmaster's chambers before he spoke once more, "Professor Dumbledore, I need a favor."

"What is it, my boy?" Dumbledore spoke.

"Blaise Zabini," Harry spoke softly, "I- Daphne and I, we have a theory about how we can help him, but the unspeakables aren't going to let us through with how closely they restrict all access to him. I was wondering if you could get Daphne and I through."

Suddenly, Harry felt a strange shift in the air as he stared at Dumbledore. He had started to relax around the old man, but Sirius hadn't told him to be wary of the old man for nothing, and as Dumbledore spoke, Harry remembered why, "I may be able to find a way to remove the unspeakables from Zabini's bedside. However, I'm afraid that I myself am also in need of some assistance on a very delicate matter."

While his words betrayed no malicious intent, part of Harry felt a bit uneasy as he asked, "What is it you want?"

"The Order of the Pheonix," Dumbledore spoke, "I'm sure you have been informed by Sirius and Remus that it was an organization that I had led in the first war against Voldemort. With possible war looming once more on the horizon, I would like to be kept in the loop about the groups' activities if the Order is to be reformed. I imagine that Sirius and Remus will be recruiting for the group in due time with Twelve Grimmauld Place as the base of operations. I would simply ask for access to the meeting place of the Order, I assure you that my knowledge on Voldemort and experience with magic would be a great asset in the upcoming conflict."

Harry knew the game at this point, Dumbledore didn't care for simply 'staying in the loop', he wasn't willing to be a random pawn or lesser piece on the chessboard, Dumbledore, despite his soft-spoken demeanor was only happy in one position, the king. Still, Harry needed to old man's guidance, his power was the only realistic benchmark to that of Voldemort's and there was a reason even slightly more important to Harry than that. The sadness he had seen on Daphne's face when discussing Blaise, the sadness that stopped Tracey's smile from reaching her eyes, the slight pinch of guilt that still echoed in his heart that wished that if only he were as powerful as he is now when the Hogsmeade attack had happened Blaise would never have been in his situation in the first place. Slowly, Harry nodded his agreement, and with the smiling figure of Dumbledore permeating in his mind as he left, all Harry could hope for was that Dumbledore was telling the truth about wanting to help him, and not control him.

* * *

****(Daphne P.O.V)****

Daphne had awoken to the beeping of her alarm with more energy than she normally had whenever this day had come around. Valentine's Day, a tradition where instead of just expressing love throughout the year, couples waited for a specific day to shower their significant others with gifts in order to 'show' their partner how much they loved them in units of Galleons.

Still this time, the day felt a bit different, and Daphne couldn't help but wonder if maybe it had anything to do with the raven-haired boy she had been spending more and more time with. While part of her was excited to head up to the great hall, another parted dreaded exactly to what lengths Astoria would go to tease her on this particular day.

However, knowing she couldn't push it off any longer, Daphne climbed out of her bed, before, with a wave of her wand, the bed remade itself. Daphne grabbed her towel as well as her uniform and due to her forcing herself to wake up earlier than any of her roommates, she easily claimed the largest shower and began preparing for the day.

As she turned the faucet off, hearing the continuation of running water from the other showers that had been put into use as more and more students awoke, Daphne quickly got dressed before leaving the lavatory with haste. However, as she returned to the dorms, she found that each of the privacy curtains had been turned back, except one, Tracey's.

Slowly, Daphne approached her friend's curtain as she whispered, "Tracey? Are you feeling okay?" Words didn't echo through the curtain, but the silence was broken by the sound of sobbing tears and breathy gasps. Daphne sat in anguish, feeling unable to do anything to help her best friend as she once again whispered, "Tracey, let me in please."

"I'm fine Daphne," Tracey said, though her voice was so broken she doubted Tracey would have been able to convince a toddler that she wasn't miserable, "Just go get breakfast, I'll meet you in class."

Daphne shook her head as she sat against the wall adjacent to her friend's four-poster taking a breath as she spoke, "I'm not going anywhere, I'm not going to abandon my best friend."

The curtains slid open, and standing there, her shoulder-length auburn hair a complete mess, and her normally warm brown eyes bloodshot red from tears was her best friend. Tracey had looked worse than she had in weeks, but Daphne supposed with the day acting as an explosive reminder of one's significant other, it made sense that Tracey was struggling. "See," Tracey had said with a shaky voice, "I'm fin-"

But before Tracey could finish her sentence, Daphne rushed her, catching her in a tight hug as she forced the curtains shut once more. Hot tears began streaming down her neck from her friend's cheek and as she rubbed small circles around her friend's back Daphne spoke, "It's okay Trace. Everything is going to be okay."

"I'm sorry," Tracey said in a broken voice, "I'm so sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Daphne said breaking the hug as she stared at her friend in confusion.

"You- you've been through so much shit this year and I feel like some of it, no, most of it is my fault. I mean, you and Harry got attacked by dementors and a death eater. I've seen you trying to balance trying to save Astoria and Blaise, and I feel like I've been nothing but a burden because I can't even think about what's happening to him without just falling apart and-," Tracey swallowed hard, "I'm sorry Daphne, I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologizing," Daphne said firmly hugging her friend once more as she continued, "There's nothing for me to forgive, it's okay Tracey, I'm not upset or angry with you, I understand."

"I just-," Tracey said biting her lip hard in an attempt to try and keep her act together, "I just wish I could see him, I can't even spend today with him in the hospital wing because those unspeakables won't let anyone near their 'work'." Despite her best effort, another tear fell from her eyes as she finished, "I miss him so much, Daphne."

"I miss him too Tracey," Daphne spoke, "But I'm not giving up, I'm going to save him, I promise, I promise I'll bring him back to us, back to you."

* * *

****(Daphne P.O.V)****

Daphne had refused to leave her friend's side for the day except for the two times their classes hadn't added up. She was concerned that either Harry or Astoria would have jumped her, but one look from her and a quick glance at Tracey had caused Harry to nod subtly during breakfast in understanding and Daphne felt very thankful for how perceptive the boy was as he gently placed his hand on Astoria's shoulder, shaking his head softly to stop her.

All that said, it still didn't help much that there were couples snogging around every corner and the atrocious smell of witches weekly perfumes filled every hallway in droves. Honestly, Daphne couldn't wait for the day to be over because apart from Tracey who was barely keeping it together, she had to keep her head cool as she watched Harry become the unwilling recipient of no-doubt a sizable amount of love-potioned sweets. Daphne couldn't help herself from concocting a list in her head of witches that were getting far too close to Harry for her comfort; Patil, Brown, Brocklehurst, Dunbar. Daphne hadn't considered herself the jealous type but seeing girls throw themselves at Harry despite his obvious un-interest was really frustrating.

Figuring that with classes now finished and the dinner bell only a couple hours away, Daphne had taken Tracey out to the lake and away from all the 'love' that was taking place in the castle. The large tree resting on the bank of the lake was large enough for the two of them to rest side by side comfortably as the chirping of birds cut through the chilly February air.

The two of them sat there, saying nothing, to Daphne there was nothing needed to be said, but it was Tracey that had broken the silence, "I know you don't want to hear it, but I'm sorry you had to waste all of Valentine's Day with me."

A small grin grew on Daphne's face, "It wasn't a waste Tracey, it's been a while since we spent any time together."

"Still," Tracey said softly, "I know you'd have rather spent today with Harry, I mean, you two are-,"

"That's enough of that," Daphne spoke, "If you want to thank me for staying with you then I guess I can accept that, but don't you dare apologize for something as stupid as taking away my time with Harry. You're my sister Tracey, you were there for me when nobody else was, we're family and family comes first."

Daphne watched as her friend sat in silence before the winter sun began to set creating a beautiful orange glow along the surface of the still lake. Tracey furiously wiped her eyes as she whispered in a voice just high enough for Daphne to hear it, "Thank you."

"Always," Daphne responded simply.

The sky had darkened as a cool chill filled the now sunless sky, a slight tremble overtook Daphne's body as she motioned to stand, helping Tracey to her feet. The omnipresence of the light gale winds was broken as Daphne heard a familiar voice call out, "Hey Princess, Tracey, glad I found you."

Daphne watched in confusion as she saw Harry tuck a piece of parchment into his pocket before standing there, a flutter with nervous jitters, "Harry?" Daphne asked in confusion, "What are you-"

"I made a deal with Dumbledore," Harry said, "He's got the unspeakables out of the hospital wing, which means-"

"It's time," Daphne finished with a nod.

"Time for what?" Tracey asked.

"Time to save Blaise."

* * *

**A/N: Oh man, next chapter is going to be a good one, that's for sure. First of all, I just want to say thank you all so much for reading, your continuous support is absolutely amazing and I feel so grateful for it. Now for thoughts about the chapter, I think one thing that might spark debate is Dumbledore's negotiation with Harry. I tried to represent the reason Harry agreed to Dumbledore' proposal as best as I could, but for anyone that thinks that Dumbledore wouldn't do what he did this chapter, I recommend reading the scene in which Snape comes begging for Dumbledore to protect Lily only for Dumbledore to ask what Snape will give him in return.**

**Apart from that, I do love the bond that Daphne and Tracey share, and I loved that Daphne and Harry have the ability to have essentially silent conversations. Honestly, I'm super pumped for the next chapter and I hope you are all excited as well. If you enjoyed this chapter, please be sure to Follow, Favorite and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	31. Chapter XXXI: Blaise's Soul

**A/N: Well, I'm back, out of fear for my life from Slycerr haha. I hope you guys enjoy, only a few more chapters left of this first book in the saga.**

* * *

Chapter XXXI: Blaise's Soul

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry had been trembling with nerves when Dumbledore had reported to him that he had arranged a meeting in the Headmaster's Chamber with the Unspeakables regarding Blaise's treatment over the summer. It had meant that the room would be unguarded and was the only chance he and Daphne would likely have at trying to save Blaise. At first, Harry's motives had been selfish. He wanted his Princess, of that there was no denying, but saving Blaise had become more than an obstacle in his path to Daphne. The way that her eyes sank, despite her persistence to keep up the Ice Queen Persona, when she talked about Blaise had hurt him deeply. The strain that she had put herself through trying desperately to save her friend had made saving Blaise feel like more than a mission, to Harry, through the hidden sorrow of Daphne and the visible pain from Tracey, it had become personal.

Still, as he, Daphne, and Tracey, crept through the silent halls of the empty castle as all the students had communed to the dining hall, Harry couldn't help the feeling of the anxious knot tightening in his chest. He had seen all of Daphne's research, the piles of notes she had compiled, but it was hard to get anything more than theories when embarking on a venture that had never been done before. Despite all the research, there was no sure-fire method on how to return a lost and wandering soul.

The private medical wing set up in a level above the standard infirmary had sent a chill down Harry's spine. He had never particularly been a big fan of hospitals, but if Harry hadn't seen the death chamber with his own eyes, he'd have argued that the Unspeakables' test room was as close to the realm of the dead as humanly possible.

Disgusting concoctions of removed eye-balls, floating kidneys, and a still-beating heart in a jar filled the shelves of the twisted room. Veils of black drapes blocked out every essence of light from every window, and only a faint blue orb stuck to the roof of the room illuminated the facility. However, despite the smell of blood in the air, and the slight rattling of the neon-colored vials that laced the room, there was one thing that commanded the space, a bed surrounded by a grey curtain adorned with runes.

"What the hell is this place," Tracey spoke through a shaky whisper, "This is a nightmare."

Harry watched as Daphne grit her teeth, nodding in agreement as he approached the curtain, "Can you read these? I don't recognize these ruins."

"They're not Nordic," Daphne whispered in confusion, "They're Egyptian, I'm not as fluent in them, but the first line, I think, is an alarm rune."

"So if we touch the curtain," Harry said cautiously, "They'll know." Daphne nodded and Harry clenched his fist tightly, "Fuck it," he whispered, "I didn't come this far only to be turned away by a don't touch sign."

Harry felt some comfort flow through his body as he watched Daphne nod her agreement before speaking, "Tracey, lock the door. Daphne, draw any runes you can think of that will slow them from entering, we won't be able to move when we dive into Blaise's mind and we need as much time as possible." Harry sighed as he spoke, "In the meantime, Kreacher!"

"Master Harry has summoned Kreacher," The elf bowed deeply, "How can Kreacher serve Heir of the Noble House of Black."

"Unspeakables," Harry started, "They are in the Headmaster's Office right now, but when I pull this curtain they are going to come and investigate. I need you to stall them for as long as possible, but if there is any risk of you getting hurt, you bail, okay?"

Harry almost couldn't believe the slight misty-eyed look he caught in the old elf as he nodded, "Master Harry Potter is truly noble worrying for Kreacher's safety. Kreacher is thankful to have a master like Harry Potter."

"You're in my employ Kreacher, it's my job to take care of you," Harry spoke with a slight smile, "Now go. Buy us as much time as you can." Kreacher bowed deeply before with a pop he vanished. Harry fell to the ground, entering his meditative stance as he began to clear his mind. They had one shot at this, and under no circumstances was Harry going to fail. It had been maybe five minutes before Harry turned to Daphne before asking, "Are we ready?"

Harry watched as Daphne examined the quick handiwork of her Runes before she nodded, "Pull the curtain."

* * *

****(Daphne P.O.V)****

Daphne's mind felt as if it was racing, she had never been one for breaking rules, bending them sure, but without a doubt what they were about to get involved with was a criminal offense. Still, the images of the heartbroken face of her best friend had silenced any doubts, she had promised to save Blaise and if that meant that she'd spend some time in a cell to keep it, so be it.

Still, it wasn't just the illegality of their actions that was concerning her. Despite her lacking opinion of most people, she had the utmost faith in Harry's legilimency ability, surprisingly, it was her own ability she was questioning. She had done what she could, from the book given to her by Harry, to the one she had stolen from the Malfoy's, to all the ones she had abused Harry's access to the restricted section to read cover to cover, Daphne had done all she could. Still, they were attempting nothing short of a miracle, nobody in written history had ever returned a lost soul to its owner, and both Harry and herself were far from the most experienced wizards who had most likely tried the procedure.

However, failure was not an option, she would succeed or die trying. She loved Tracey too much to see her hurting, and Blaise, annoying as he could be at times was her friend. She wouldn't fail, she and Harry had already accomplished the impossible when they had killed the previously thought immortal Dementors, what was another miracle.

Daphne watched as with a focused and steady hand, Harry pulled back the grey curtain, and instantly despite the silence of the alarm, Daphne knew they were on the clock. All the same, she couldn't help but pause at the ghastly sight she saw before her. Blaise Zabini, her friend, laid on the cot before them, motionless. His normally thin face had the density of paper, and while his cheekbones had always been well defined, his whole skull was visible through his malnourished state. His muscles had atrophied and his once lean and built arms looked like nothing more than narrow lines of bones wrapped loosely by sunken skin.

Vials of blood taken from Blaise lined the bedside table, and tiny incision marks littered Blaise's exposed torso with pen markings exposing nearly every inch of skin as if Blaise was nothing more than a lab-rat. When Daphne had last seen Blaise, he looked perfectly healthy, as if he had simply been napping. But now, a magically modified ventilation mask covered his face forcing him to continue breathing as a magically induced bypass machine kept his heart pumping. Rage filled Daphne's heart as she heard Tracey whisper, "What did they do to you?"

Daphne's fist tightened with anger as she thought of all the ways she'd love to see those monsters posing as men of science tortured for what they did to her friend, but was snapped out of it by the surprisingly calm look of Harry who gently rested his hand on her shoulder, and while his eyes too were burning with rage he calmly whispered, "It's not the time now, we have to focus."

Daphne nodded her consent as she released her anger with a deep breath, calming her mind as she turned to view Tracey who was now kneeling desperately by Blaise's bedside, his skeletal-like hand resting in hers before she turned to face Harry who gave her the most comforting smile he could muster as he reached out his rune-inscribed hand to hers, "Well, here goes nothing."

"Hey, Flyboy," Daphne spoke gently, "If this doesn't work and we-"

"It's going to work," Harry said with a grin, "Making the impossible happen is what we do best after all Princess."

A weak smile rose to Daphne's face as she placed her rune-inscribed hand in his before focusing her magic. Just like when they had first done it in the Forbidden Forest, an overwhelming feeling of warmth and comfort filled her body as the runes on their hands glowed a brilliant blue. The faint white glow of magic radiated off their body like a protective aura and as she turned to look at Harry, she had once again seen that his Emerald Green eyes had shifted to their shared Cyan color. Harry gave her one last smile before with a nod, the two turned to face Blaise, and with the calming strum of Harry's voice, "_Legilimens," _they dove.

* * *

****(Blaise P.O.V)****

_I'm cold, _A boy thought, _I'm tired, I want to sleep. Where am I? Who am I? Is this Hell? Please help me._ Emptiness, that was all there was for him. No past, no present, no future, nothing at all. Just the void, a background of glowing white and absolute silence. _How long have I been here? _The boy wondered, _Days? Months? Years? _Nothing made sense, nothing was clear, the boy was nothing at all.

Then it happened, noise, for the first time in what felt like so long, the boy heard a noise. _Footsteps?_ He asked himself in confusion. His confusion only grew as he heard a feminine voice call out for him, "Blaise!" Followed by a masculine one, "Blaise! Where are you!"

_Blaise? _The boy asked himself, "_Is that my name? Who are these people? How do they know who I am?_ "Blaise!" The female voice called out, "Where are you? We're here to bring you home! Tracey, she's been worried sick! Hell, I've been worried sick! Where are you!"

"Tra-cey," The boy spoke, a hint of familiarity in the name, "Tracey," He repeated once more before pushing off the ground and standing from his previously curled form. The ground felt non-existent as his hand pressed against it, and the boy felt more like he was drifting through space rather than standing and yet, he willed himself forward, towards the calling voices, desperate for answers.

The all-encompassing light only seemed to grow as the boy drifted for what felt like hours towards the repeated calls of the mysterious name. However, eventually, he had come across two figures, not unlike his own. They wore no discernible clothing instead, like him, they drifted, covered by a glowing white light. The boy had emerald green eyes, with messy fringe-like black hair and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. The girl, however, had icy-blue eyes with a long intricate braid of her Honey-Blonde hair. The girl seemed to stare at him in shock, before within a blink of an eye, he felt himself surrounded by her arms as she held him, the feeling of tears washed over his back as he continued to stare blankly in confusion.

"Blaise," The girl whispered, "Thank god we found you. We're here to help, we're going to bring you back."

It was silent for a moment before the boy finally spoke, "Who are you?"

The boy felt the girls arms tighten around him, and her face looked to be in pain as the other boy stared at him with a lost look on his face before he grinned, "Haven't had that happen before." He then shook his head before turning to face him, "My name is Harry Potter. The girl over there is one of your best friends, her name is Daphne Greengrass."

"Dap-hne," The boy repeated the same hint of familiarity that had crossed his mind before, "I've heard that name before, and the other name, Tracey, I've heard that name before as well. Who is she? And who am I?"

"Tracey," The girl named Daphne started, "She's our friend, she's actually your girlfriend. And you, your name is Blaise Zabini."

"Blai-se Zab-ini," The boy spoke slowly desperately trying to comprehend what was happening, "What happened to me? Where am I?"

"We're in your soul," The Green-Eye boy stated, "Or at least, that's where I think we are."

"As for what happened," Daphne spoke in a soft tone, "You were hurt, well, it was more like your soul was fractured when you tried to protect Tracey and I from a Dementor. We're here to try and put your soul back together."

"Fractured?" The boy whispered as he remembered the fragments of what looked like shattered glass that resided in a pit around his resting place. He shook his head, trying to calm himself as he nodded, "Follow me."

It had taken a long time, or maybe it hadn't, time didn't make much sense wherever the boy was, until the three had arrived at the place the boy had referred to as the shadow. The only spot of darkness within the white void. It was a place that terrified him, it was black as nightmare and it whispered to him. It whispered terrible things about his death, silent screams filled his ears whenever he would approach, but deep within the black Abyss of the Shadow resided glimmering fragments, fragments he could never reach.

"This is what fractured in the attack," The Green-Eyed boy spoke cautiously looking over the edge of the Shadow.

"It looks like it," Daphne spoke softly.

"Okay," The Green-Eyed boy said with a fake smile of confidence, "You wait up here with Blaise, and I'll go collect the fragments. I'll be back in a sec." The boy watched as the Green-eyed figure motioned to leap into the Shadow to begin his descent. However, his attempt hadn't lasted long until wails of agony were heard and the Green-Eyed boy was flung from the Abyss' ridge.

"Harry!" Daphne shouted rushing over to the Green-Eyed boy's side, checking him over for injuries only for the boy to give her a gentle smile and shake his head.

"I'm alright," The Green-Eyed boy spoke once more lifting himself up with a struggle, "But that sure wasn't as easy as I thought it would be."

"It's because he doesn't trust you," Daphne spoke, "Do you remember what I said, it has to be with somebody he trusts, otherwise it's not going to work. It has to be me."

"There's no way I'm letting you go down there by yourself," The Green-Eyed Boy protested, grabbing Daphne's arm with concern lacing his eyes.

"We don't have a choice," Daphne spoke before she gave the Green-Eyed boy a slight smile, "Plus, I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." The boy then felt Daphne's gaze turned to him as she spoke softly, "Blaise, I need you to come with me down there. I think if you come with me, I'll be able to help you leave this place for good."

Quickly, the boy shook his head in defiance, "No, I don't want to go, I don't-"

But he was stopped by the feeling of Daphne's warm hand taking his, "Blaise, I need you to trust me. I swear on my life, I won't let anything happen to you."

The boy looked at Daphne in wonder before slowly, he nodded, the feeling of fear shrinking slightly in her presence as the two approached the edge of the Shadow. "Blaise," Daphne spoke softly, "Do you think you can make us a rope?"

The boy thought very hard before a thick, tightly knotted rope appeared hanging gently off the side of the Abyss. Daphne then turned to the Green-Eyed boy as she spoke, "Harry, don't let go of this rope, and if I pull on it, pull me up."

The green-eyed boy nodded though the look of concern still hadn't left his eyes until Daphne wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "I'm going to come back, I promise, okay Flyboy?"

"I'll hold you to that Princess," The Green-eyed boy said with a small grin before with a firm grasp on the rope, Daphne led Blaise down into the abyss.

* * *

****(Daphne P.O.V)****

The further both she and Blaise descended into the pit, the more she silently wished she had Harry beside her. The Abyss was like the belly of a giant Dementor as thoughts of anguish spread through her head, primarily one thought, in particular, Astoria. However, a look at Blaise's face which was filled with so much fear and confusion had snapped her out of her sorrows as she forced memories and thoughts of Christmas Days with Tracey and Blaise into her mind, and while they had alleviated some of the terror, there was only one thought that had vanished the darkness completely, the goofy smile on Harry's face after they had shared their second kiss in the infirmary.

_Damn him, _Daphne thought with a slight grin as she lifted her wand and spoke, "_Lumos!" _Instantly, the pit drank in the light igniting from the tip of Daphne's wand as she cursed silently before turning to Blaise who was still shivering in fear, "Guess we're going to have to do this in the dark." She turned to face her friend once more, "Blaise, look at me, please, I can't do this without you."

Daphne watched as the Dark-Skinned boy's face strengthened in resolve as the two touched down at the bottom of the Abyss. The Shadow, as Blaise had called it, was incredibly deep. She couldn't even see the rays of light from the surface as she looked up silently hoping to see Harry's encouraging smile. However, there was no point focusing on something she couldn't change, and with new found determination Daphne, followed closely by Blaise began scouring the Abyss for fragments of his soul.

The lack of time within the dimension of Blaise's soul had been a nightmarish phenomenon for a girl like Daphne who kept track of time better than some clocks. She was unsure if it had been seconds or hours since she had descended into the pit, but finally, a spark of hope filled her heart as she saw the faint glimmer of a soul shard. Slowly, she lifted it from the ground, and inside the shard, she saw the memory of Tracey and Blaise's first kiss. It was silent, but Daphne couldn't help but allow a smile to raise on her lips as she saw Blaise mouthing out what must have been a river of nonsense before Tracey grabbed his tie and kissed him quiet.

Part of Daphne felt guilty on trespassing on what was such an intimate memory for them, but it made the cold feeling of the pit a bit warmer as she approached her timid and lost friend lifting the soul shard to his face, "I'm not really sure what you're supposed to do with this, but keep it close to you and maybe you'll figure out what to do."

As she placed the fragmented shard into Blaise's hand, it hadn't taken long until she watched in amazement as Blaise lifted the shard to his temple and shoved it into his head. Part of Daphne thought it looked horrifying, but that thought died as the Abyss' darkness grew fainter and a small sliver of the familiar light broke through the Shadow.

"Tracey," Blaise spoke a single tear falling down his right cheek as he wiped away the track mark. The look of fear turning into one of determination as he spoke with gritted teeth, "Let's find the rest of these shards, I need to get back home, wherever that is." Daphne nodded, and their search continued.

Shard Piece after Shard Piece, memory after memory, Daphne and Blaise wandered the slowly illuminating crevasse of Blaise's fragmented soul. Daphne watched as she witnessed some of Blaise's worst memories, the time he was kicked out of his mother's house into a thunderstorm because she had a wealthy man over, the time he had first stood up for Tracey during their first year only to get jinxed to hell and back by Malfoy and his goons, to the nightmare that was the Hogsmeade Attack, Daphne saw it all. However, it wasn't all bad, the first time the three of them had made Christmas Cookies together was a memory she had found, as well as the time Blaise had gotten his wand. Though whether the memory was good or bad, as Blaise shoved the shard into his mind, the canyon of despair glowed a little brighter until as the final memory of Blaise's father's funeral was shoved into his head, the two of them were absorbed by a blinding white glow.

Hours, days, months, honestly despite the fact that Daphne knew they couldn't have been down there for longer than a few minutes at most, by the time the Abyss had disappeared and the warm glow of Blaise's soul illuminated the darkest corners of the Shadow, Daphne had felt more exhausted than ever before. Before she could even get her bearings, the tight and exhausted hug of Harry wrapped her in his arms, and she couldn't help but smile in relief as she sank into his shoulder, "I thought I lost you," Harry whispered softly into her ear.

"What happened," Daphne spoke softly not resisting the comfort Harry's arms provided.

"I don't know," Harry spoke, "I was waiting on the edge to pull you up when suddenly the Shadow just exploded. I thought you two had disappeared when the Abyss just sealed together, but then you and Blaise just fell from another burst of light."

"Blaise," Daphne spoke with sudden realization, "Where is-"

"Over here," The voice of a far less timid Blaise called out, "What the hell happened to me? I remember Hogsmeade and then-"

"It's a long story," Daphne said with an exhausted smile, "I'll tell you all about it when we get out of here." Blaise nodded and slowly, Daphne grabbed Harry's hand before she turned to him, "Whenever you're ready."

Harry nodded and with a tired and relieved sigh, he whispered, "Finite."

It had felt like they were being flushed down a toilet as they spiraled and distorted frequently, growing and shrinking as they left Blaise's soul. Thankfully, it hadn't lasted long until they were flung from Blaise's mind and collapsed onto the ground of darkened 'hospital' floor. Daphne turned to Harry and was genuinely considering kissing him, even with Tracey as a witness, but that idea had been squashed as she heard Tracey say though a shaky voice, "Don't take another step near him you monsters."

Daphne's head quickly shifted towards the source of the voice, and in fear, she watched as Tracey held her wand in the faces of three fully grown adult Unspeakables who despite the masks covering their face still managed to look furious. Daphne had wanted to stand to help her friend, but the exhaustion coursing through her body made lifting her arms difficult let alone standing.

While Harry was showing better results, being able to at least grip the railing of Blaise's medical cot and pull himself to his feet, his body was still shaking with exhaustion, and despite the fury in his eyes as he faced the Unspeakables, combat was out of the question. "Put your wand down girl," One of the Unspeakables growled through their metallic mask, "We will alert the Auror's when they arrive that you resisted our wishes which will only add charges to your arrest."

"Bite me," Tracey growled in return, the anger radiating off her body was nearly palpable, "You're the ones that should be in Azkaban for what you did to Blaise."

"What the Unspeakables do to our test subjects is none of your concern, girl," A different masked wizard spoke, "Now put down your wand."

"Test Subject!" Tracey shouted in rage, "He's sick! He needed help! He didn't need to be dissected for science!"

The slow tapping of heeled boots came closer and closer into earshot until soon, the long silver-beared headmaster arrived on the scene, "I apologize for my delay, these old bones don't allow me the speed of my youth. I implore us all to lay down our wands and discuss the events in question civilly." Dumbledore stepped past the line of Unspeakables, a slight flash of his magical aura was enough to cause one of the Unspeakables to drop his wand in the presence of such overwhelming power while the other two simply stood there looking neutered. Even Daphne felt a shiver up her spine as she stood in the line of the force of nature that was Dumbledore, and couldn't help but watch quietly as Dumbledore examined Blaise's damaged body.

For a moment Dumbledore's passive face turned to one of pure disgust before returning to his normal grandfatherly expression as he shifted once more to face the Unspeakables. However, just before the Headmaster could begin whatever it was he was about to say, the scratchy and hoarse voice of Blaise whimpered, "Tracey."

Instantly, Tracey dropped her wand to the ground as she ran towards Blaise, reaching for his hand as his eyes opened for the first time in months. Daphne had felt like a giant weight was lifted off her chest as she heard Tracey speak, "I'm here Blaise, I'm right here."

"Sorry," Blaise spoke his voice sounded terrible from his long stasis, "You're crying, I didn't mean to worry you so much. I just wanted to keep you safe."

"I don't care about that now," Tracey said shaking her head, the tears still streaming as Daphne watched her best friend wrap her arms around the dark-skinned boy, holding him as tightly as she could without damaging his fragile state, "You're back now, that's all that matters."

"Impossible," One of the Unspeakables said, "He shouldn't have been able to be healed, his soul was shattered."

"Yeah, well," Harry said, the exhaustion on his face much more noticeable than Daphne's, "Doing the impossible is sort of what I'm known for."

"Well," Dumbledore said, "Seeing as young Mister Zabini here has awoken, I see no reason for the three of you to remain at Hogwarts any longer. I will send word to Minister Fudge immediately and as I arrange for Mr. Zabini to be moved to St. Mungos for his remedial treatment. I will expect the ministry here as soon as possible to remove all of their equipment from my Hospital wing."

"You're students broke a law Professor Dumbledore," One unspeakable that had gained some courage spoke, "We demand the Aurors are called and those three are arrested for trespassing and viewing the research of the Unspeakables."

"I could do that," Dumbledore spoke with a nod, "However, seeing as Lord Black, Madam Bones, and no doubt Lady Vance would together most likely vote in favor of not charging Harry Potter and his friends here with a crime considering they saved the life of a boy you had chosen to forfeit. As well as the fact that I as Chief Warlock would most likely bring about the suggestion that instead of trying to cure the boy you used him as a guinea pig for your experiments. I would say it would not be in your best interest for the Wizengamot to get involved and instead it would be better if you left with the false credit that you had cured young Zabini here off an untreatable illness."

Daphne grit her teeth, she knew that they most likely didn't have much choice as going through the Wizengamot was not exactly a trusted legal process even with a relatively strong position. She also wasn't oblivious to the fact that had the Unspeakables left Hogwarts without any reason, it would only lead to more questions than answers. While she didn't like forfeiting the claim to all her research, the smile that rested upon Tracey's face as she stared lovingly and full of relief at Blaise had reminded her that she didn't do it for the fame. She swallowed hard and nodded as she watched the Unspeakables leave the room, growling in anger.

"I must say," Dumbledore spoke, "You and Miss Greengrass make a very formidable team Mr. Potter. To have accomplished not just one, but two impossible feats in one school year, I'm certain your parents would have been very proud."

Daphne watched as Harry smiled slightly before he nodded, and Dumbledore spoke, "I'm going to be making arrangements for Mr. Zabini to receive the appropriate care, do any of you require any further assistance."

The three wizards remained silent as Dumbledore gave a small smile and left the private hospital quarter. Daphne turned to Harry, there was so much she wanted to tell him, and yet she couldn't think of the words, "Harry, I-"

But before she could even begin Harry gave her a weak grin, "I know," was all he said before turning to an open spot and whispering, "Kreacher." The elf appeared with a pop, and kindly with a voice full of exhaustion Harry spoke, "Can you please bring me to my bed. I need to take a nap."

Kreacher bowed deeply, but just before he could pop away, Harry turned to face Tracey and with the last of his energy he spoke, "Happy Valentine's Day Tracey," And then, he vanished.

Daphne smiled to herself as Tracey faced her with a look of so many conflicting feelings before she spoke, "He left before I could even thank him."

"Yeah," Daphne said pushing herself into a nearby seat and staring at the spot Harry had just vanished from, "That's just the kind of guy he is."

* * *

**A/N: Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it was certainly fun to watch. That scene with Blaise at the beginning of his P.O.V. was how I imagine living without a soul would feel like in the Harry Potter universe so I hope you liked my interpretation of it. I also know a lot of people like Daphne and she has become one of my favorite characters to write so I hope you enjoyed her moment of non-shared spotlight. Apart from all of that, Blaise is now healed so you guys should all know what comes next. If you enjoyed this chapter, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	32. Chapter XXXII: Harry's Heart

Chapter XXXII: Harry's Heart

**(Harry P.O.V)**

Harry awoke with a throbbing headache. His vision was blurred and his body felt dizzy as he rose to his feet and grabbed his bedside table for support. _How much magic did I use? _Harry thought to himself before with a pop Kreacher appeared to him holding a vial, "Kreacher has brought Master Harry some replenishing potions. Master Harry should rest."

Harry nodded, sitting on his bed as he downed the first of three potions and instantly began to feel a little less strained, "Did you bring any of these to Daphne? I'm sure she's probably feeling it just as bad."

"Miss Greengrass' elf brought her some when Kreacher told him," Kreacher replied forcing the second vial into Harry's hand, "Now drink."

Harry gave the elf a soft smile as he downed the next potion, "Thank you, Kreacher, this helps a lot."

"Kreacher lives to serve the Noble House of Black," The elf nodded handing Harry the last potion.

"Kreacher," Harry spoke after finishing the last potion, "You know that you don't simply have to be my servant, we can be friends."

"Kreacher doesn't like making friends," The elf spoke, "Kreacher lost his friend Master Regulus, Kreacher doesn't want to go through it again."

Harry felt awful for the elf, it was no surprise that serving Sirius was not his preferred lifestyle, but both the elf and his Godfather suffered from a very similar pain, the loss of Sirius' brother, Regulus Black. It was a name that wasn't spoken much in the New House of Black, but Harry knew it was always lingering just below the surface of Sirius and Kreacher's relationship. Still, Harry had decided that for now, it was best to stay silent. And as he thanked Kreacher once more for his service, the elf popped away once more leaving him alone in his dorm space.

Harry turned to his alarm, it was late, approaching midnight and Harry had realized he'd been out for nearly five hours. Slowly, and this time with a lot less strain, he pushed himself out of bed as he stretched himself out, popping multiple joints in his body. He opened his bedside table finding his father's map and with the touch of his wand he spoke, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Instantly, the map sprang to life, and while Harry saw that most of the students were in their dormitories apart from the prefects, there was one dot, sitting all alone at the edge of the astronomy that caused him to smile. As quietly as he could, Harry retrieved his cloak before through the sleeping dorms, he left the Gryffindor Tower.

Harry was very thankful for his cloak and map, along with the muffling charm he placed on his feet, Harry was more invisible than a ghost as he easily walked past those on patrol without suspicion as he headed towards the Astronomy Tower. Due to already being near the top of the castle, it hadn't taken long until Harry had found himself slowly opening the door of the tower and heard the quiet whisper of Daphne call out, "Who's there?"

"Relax Princess," Harry spoke gently removing the cloak and shutting the door behind him, locking it with a flick of his wand, "It's just me."

"An invisibility cloak huh?" Daphne spoke a small smirk on her lips, "You are just full of surprises aren't you?"

"Would you have it any other way?" Harry said with a grin of his own as he approached the beautiful blonde taking a seat beside her as he looked out into the distance, "So, what brings you out to this tower at this hour?"

Daphne smiled as Harry returned it as he wrapped his arm gently around her waist and felt Daphne place her tired head on his shoulders, "I couldn't sleep, I'm exhausted but my heart is still pounding like crazy. It also doesn't help that every time I close my eyes I see Blaise in that horrible state. How could they have done that? What kind of heartless human beings-"

Harry tightened his embrace of his princess as Daphne hiccuped quietly, "All my life," She spoke slowly, "I wanted to be a healer. I wanted to bring people back from the brink of death, to spit in the face of fate that tells me that something has to happen because the powers that be demand it. But when I saw what they were doing to him, I just couldn't understand how people that were supposed to heal a person could cause so much harm."

"People are shitty," Harry said blankly looking at the sky, "I mean, there are good ones out there, but there is plenty of shit; Pettigrew, the Death Eaters, the Unspeakables, Voldemort," Harry felt Daphne flinch and with an apologetic look he spoke, "Sorry, I forgot about the whole 'don't say his name thing' it's a load of bullshit honestly, but still-"

"Anyway," Harry said correcting his course, "Like I said, not every person is shitty, you for example, as much as you try to act like you don't care about anything or anyone care a lot about people. I don't really know why the whole Ice Queen thing exists, but I know the world could use more people like you."

"Harry," Daphne spoke touched by the kindness in his words, "When I first met you, I thought you were a selfish ass. My first impression of you was that you were a lot like Malfoy, a git who had never been told no before and someone who expected the world to roll over and do whatever they wanted." Harry stared softly at Daphne as she continued, "I just wanted to apologize for that, I was really wrong about you."

"You were partially wrong about me," Harry spoke with a shrug, "I can still be a bit of an ass, just not as much as Malfoy. I don't think anyone but a Malfoy can be as big of a dick as another Malfoy."

Daphne chuckled slightly as she gently slapped his arm before turning to face the stars, "Tracey wanted me to thank you by the way. Blaise is going to need a good amount of rehab, but the Medi-Wizards that arrived after you left said that he's going to make a full recovery."

"Well that's good," Harry said with an even smile, "Seeing you and Tracey all mopey really was a bummer."

"Why do you do that?" Daphne spoke, "You make everything seem like it's not a big deal. Even when you do things that were previously thought impossible you simply walk around like it never happened. It was the same thing when you protected Astoria all those months ago. I just don't get it."

"I made a promise to myself a long time ago," Harry spoke, "I was going to make every single one of my enemies pay. Every single person that played a role in my family's death, I want to see them brought to justice. That drive, part of it scares me, sometimes I worry about becoming the type of monster I'm fighting against. That's why, when it comes to my friends, to the people I care about, I'm willing to go so far for them. I do it to remind myself that I'm not like them, I do it to remind myself that I'm not _Him._"

Harry felt Daphne look deeply into his eyes and in their minds, Harry felt like a hundred conversations had taken place before they broke their glances once more staring up into the starry sky, "I like constellations, I don't know why, but I've always liked stargazing, even when I was a little kid." Harry looked at Daphne with a slight smile, "Months ago, you told me you wanted to get to know the real me, I figure you've done enough to earn that."

"I'm also a terrible cook," Daphne transitioned, "I tried making lunch for Astoria one day and I nearly burned down my father's estate," Harry chuckled a bit as Daphne continued, "I love drawing too, though I haven't had much time to do anything more than doodle this year, you already know that I hate flying, and one time, Tracey took me bowling and I got something called a Turkey which is supposed to be impressive I guess, but honestly Muggle Sports are a bit strange. Also I-"

"Slow down Princess," Harry said with a smile, "I think that's more than enough to start out with, if I already knew everything about you, there'd be nothing left to discover and where is the fun in that?"

Harry felt Daphne's eyes turn up towards him and with a questioning look, she asked, "Why did you keep chasing after me, even when I was so cold to you."

"You looked at me like I was person," Harry spoke honestly, "Granted, not a person you liked very much at first, but it was better than how most girls looked at me, as if I was some kind of prize they could show off to all their friends." Harry then smiled as he spoke, "It also helps that you are mysterious, there's so much about you that I don't know and I want to know more so badly."

"What if you find out something you don't like?" Daphne asked, and for the first time in her life, she was a bit frightened by what his response would be.

"If it's a part of what makes you, you," Harry spoke softly as he pressed his forehead to hers, "I'd say that's highly unlikely."

Daphne felt her heart pounding like it never had before as her body shifted without her knowledge to bring herself closer to Harry as he did the same. Harry grinned slightly as he spoke, "Well, we killed some dementors, saved a soul, anything else on the to-do list Princess?" Daphne smiled as she shook her head gently, her forehead rubbing gently against his as Harry's smile grew, "Well then, if there's nothing left, I'm going to kiss you now."

"What are you waiting for, Flyboy?" Daphne asked with a smirk of her own, "A written invitation?"

But Harry knew better than to respond, and slowly, he leaned in allowing his instincts to take over. Daphne's lips taste of her vanilla lip balm, and they were soft and warm. Harry pushed forward, and this time, Daphne submitted, her head falling back as Harry continued his assault. As if life had sparked into her, or perhaps she had finally realized what was happening, Daphne returned the kiss with vigor, wrapping her arms around his neck as Harry wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her onto his lap to share a deeper closeness.

Harry loved the way Daphne nibbled on his bottom lip, he loved the smoothness he felt through his fingers as his hand tangled her soft golden hair. He loved the way she would tug on his messy bedhead and how her arms tightened their closeness as if in desperation. However, as their lungs slowly reached their limits, both he and Daphne separate looking at each other with soft smiles, "It's a good thing nobody saw that," Harry said with a large grin, "That was most inappropriate."

Daphne chuckled slightly as she rested her head onto his shoulder, "Are you sure you want to do this Harry, I mean, I can be a bit of a cold bitch sometimes and-"

"Daphne," Harry spoke, and he slowly felt Daphne shiver at his calling her by her name, "Go out with me."

It was quiet for a moment, but the tightness in which Daphne held him had made her answer rather clear as she nodded into his shoulder a bit overwhelmed by her tired mind and emotional state, "Okay," Daphne spoke in just above a whisper before Harry felt her adjust her positioning to rest her head just above his beating heart.

Harry smiled down at the Blonde as he tilted her chin up to face him, and for the first time, Harry leaned in and pressed his lips against the girl that was now his princess.

* * *

****(Astoria P.O.V)****

"Harry," Astoria whined, her stomach rumbling desperate for breakfast, "Where are we going? The Great Hall is the other way."

"You don't have to follow me Short-Stack," Harry said with a teasing smile, "I'm not forcing you to come along."

"Yeah," Astoria said with squinted eyes, "But you're doing something strange and mysterious, and I hate mysteries so I have to follow you."

"Then I guess you'll just have to be patient," Harry said with a grin as the two continued down a rather empty corridor.

"This is the way to the Slytherin Common Room," Astoria remarked, "Why are we-"

"Took you long enough to get here Flyboy," Her sister's voice called out.

"Sorry Princess, I picked up a stray," Harry joked as Daphne emerged from the dark hallway, "You know, we don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"Do what?" Astoria asked the curiosity killing her.

"Nope," Daphne said with a slight smile of her own, something Astoria hadn't seen in a while from her older sister, "I need Brown, Patil, and Dunbar to get the message loud and clear."

"Aww," Harry said with a smirk, "You're jealous."

"I'm not jealous," Daphne said with a growl, "Just… protective."

Before Astoria could even process what had happened, she watched as Harry pressed his lips to her sister and her eyes nearly exploded. Astoria had wanted this outcome for so long, but she still could hardly believe what she was seeing. The smile that grew across her sister's lips as the broke apart left Astoria feeling dumbfounded only to be met with the comical grins of both her sister and Harry as with awe, she spoke, "No way."

"Way," Harry responded playfully to her remark.

"So you guys," Astoria started, "I mean you and Harry, I mean, is this really happening?"

"Yes Short-Stack," Harry said with a grin, "It's happening."

"Wow," Astoria said in shock, "That's great, just, wow."

"I honestly thought there would be a bigger reaction," Daphne said with a smirk, "I'm actually a little offended."

"Sorry," Astoria spoke still bewildered, "I don't think my brain has processed what I just saw happen. You the Ice Queen and him the Golden Boy, you two are now, well, dating."

"That is what I am told," Harry spoke with a grin before Daphne nudged him in the ribs. Astoria stood there, her mind racing in wonder as her heart danced with glee seeing her two favorite people as a couple. It was strange to see Daphne so, well, happy, but Astoria couldn't have been more pleased. She must have just been standing there for a bit too long as soon she felt Harry place his hand atop her head and smile, "Come on Short-Stack, let's get some cool orange juice in you before you're head overheats."

Daphne let out a small chuckle causing Astoria to blow out her cheeks in mock outrage which only incited a bigger laugh out of the two third-years before the three of them began walking towards the dining hall together.

Astoria watched as Harry and Daphne walked in front of them, their hands intertwined. Perhaps it was the uniform, perhaps it was just a lack of attention on her part, but the new runic markings on both Harry and Daphne's wrist was yet another mystery for her to solve. However, her intrigue would have to wait as the three stopped just before the doors of the Great Hall, "How do you want to do this?" Harry asked with a smile.

"I think us walking in holding hands will get the message across to Brown and the other harpies," Daphne spoke with a sinister smirk.

"Harpies?" Harry repeated with a chuckle only to receive a slight smack to his shoulder, "Alright, alright," Harry said smiling with amusement, "But you know what else would get the message across, another tender kiss."

"Keep dreaming Flyboy," Daphne said with a forced down blush, "I'm not big into PDA, if you wanted that, you shoulda chosen Brown."

"Don't even joke about that," Harry said with a shutter, "She's terrifying."

Astoria watched with a playful smile as hand in hand, Harry and Daphne pushed the doors of the Great Hall open and she couldn't help but watch in interest as to what the reaction would be to her sister's subtle statement. I hadn't taken long until Astoria heard Lavender's fork fall onto the plate, as Dunbar and Patil turned red like Astoria had never seen red. Still, despite the love of subtly her sister had, she did love twisting the knife a bit when it came to her enemies, and so as a clear surprise to Harry judging by his facial expression, she kissed his cheek as she let go of his hand causing Harry to grin as he whispered, "I thought you didn't like PDA?"

"I don't," Daphne said, "But seeing Patil look about ready to blow was too enjoyable to resist."

"Are you going to be good by yourself over at the Slytherin table?" Harry asked, "With Tracey and her Dad going to visit Blaise at St. Mungos, you're going to be all alone, you're welcome to sit with your sister and I."

"Thanks, but I'm okay," Daphne said with a grin, "You have some angry fan-girls to deal with and I think it's safer for me if I keep my distance."

"You're evil," Harry said with a roll of his eyes.

"At least you don't have to sit with Malfoy," Daphne replied, an argument to which Astoria had to concede, as bad as Harry's fangirls could be, nothing beat an indignant Malfoy in terms of annoyance.

Harry sighed, "Fair enough," And with one last shared smile between the newly minted couple, Astoria and Harry watched as Daphne walked towards the Slytherin table, before with a gulp Harry turned to face the Gryffindor Table full of girls with daggers in their eyes he whispered, "Alright Short-Stack, protect me."

"You're on your own," She replied with a chuckle as Harry sighed once more.

"Well, here goes nothing." Astoria heard Harry mutter to himself as the two cautiously approached the table of the outraged lioness.

* * *

****(Harry P.O.V)****

As Harry approached the Gryffindor Table, he was met by a strange array of faces. Fred and George looked particularly amused, while Ron simply shrugged in indifference. Harry saw Katie hand over three galleons to Lee with a scowl as Lee smirked in satisfaction. Angelina gave him a look that Harry quickly interpreted as, _So long as you don't go easy of Slytherin because of it, I don't care_. Wood didn't really seem to bother noticing anything other than the playbook he was reading feverishly in preparation for their game against Hufflepuff next week, and Alicia simply stared at Harry before turning her attention back to Roger Davis.

However, the Harpies, as Daphne had put it didn't look nearly half as amused as Fred and George, or even Ron for that matter. No, they looked pissed, and for some reason, it really irked Harry. They looked at him like they had something they owned stolen from them, and he didn't like that look at all. Still, as Harry took his seat, he soon saw a streak of blue pop down next to him followed by Neville who sat across from him. Harry turned to smirk at his blue-haired friend as he heard Michael say, "You son of a bitch, you actually did it. I can't believe it."

"Pay up, Corner, I told you I could do it," Harry said.

"Do what?" Astoria asked as she watched Corner scowl dropping the ten galleons into Harry's hand.

"Well, you see," Michael said, "Back when lover-boy here was being given the cold shoulder by the Ice Queen, we made a bet saying that Harry was going to fail in his pursuit of her." Michael then frowned, "I really thought I was going to win too, seven months ago she hated you, I have no idea how you pulled that off."

"I don't know Corner," Harry said with a chuckle, "Maybe it was magic."

"Piss off," Corner said with a laugh, "I'm still going to win the Neville bet."

"What Neville bet?" Neville spoke with a bit of concern.

"Don't worry about it," Michael said waving it off causing Neville to look at Harry before Harry simply shrugged leaving Neville completely lost.

However, their shared amusement couldn't last for long, as to Harry's great disappointment, the sound of Lavender's overly sweet voice called out, "Harry-kins, are you feeling alright?"

Harry shuddered slightly at the pet-name as he watched as Ron struggled to swallow his laugh before Harry shook his head turning to Lavender and speaking calmly, "Oh, hey Lavender, yeah, I'm doing fine."

"Perhaps it was more powerful than I thought, she's always been good in potions after all, your face isn't even slightly flushed," Lavender muttered to herself, "I think," She spoke her voice now clear, "That maybe you should go and see Madam Pomfrey, I fear you may have been drugged."

"What leads you to that suspicion," Harry asked focusing his Occlumency to contain his discomfort and annoyance, "Just curious, because I feel fine."

"Well, I mean, I just find it a bit suspicious is all," Lavender spoke before Harry furrowed his brow waiting for her to continue, "It's just, well there are so many beautiful girls in Gryffindor, or Ravenclaw, or even Hufflepuff, girls who like me are kind and sweet. It's just suspicious that the night after Valentine's Day, you show up with that Cold-Hearted Snake, and then you allow her to kiss you, it just seems off."

"I mean, everyone knows that Greengrass a cunning poitioner," Lavender said sweetly, "It's just, with love potions running so rampant this time of year, I'm a bit concerned-"

"Like the one you put into my chocolate box yesterday?" Harry said with a smug grin as he watched Lavender step back in shock, "Look Lav, I appreciate you reaching out, but I'm just not interested in you that way, and I'd appreciate it if you could refrain from accusing my girlfriend of drugging me."

"Clearly she has," Lavender spoke desperately, "I mean look at me, Harry. I'd do anything for you, something must be wrong if you'd pick the cold Ice-Queen bitch over me."

"Back off," Astoria growled in anger, "That's my sister you're talking about."

"He's not under a love potion," Michael continued, "I know you've been living in a fantasy world where you think Harry's madly in love with you and the reason he hasn't asked you out is because he's just shy, but anyone who's actually talked with him can tell you he's been chasing the Ice-Queen this whole year. Do you know any other girls aside from Short-Stack over there that he has a nickname for?"

"Then perhaps he's been under the love potion for longer than we all thought," Lavender tried to argue keeping her voice down in order to remove the eyes of the hall from their conversation."

"Ah yes," Harry spoke, "So either Daphne's been brewing Love-Potions in secret, continuously for more than half a year, and slipping them to me without me noticing, only for her to turn down every single one of my daily advances until she finally agreed to go out with me because she chose an arbitrary time to say yes. In which case, she's a super genius and stealthy as hell, which is pretty hot. Or, and hear me out here Lavender, I really like her, and because I really like her I'm thrilled that she finally agreed to go out with after more than half a year of trying. I know arithmancy isn't one of your electives, but the math isn't hard."

Harry saw Michael smirk as Lavender allowed a look of pure frustration to balloon in her face before marching away in a tizzy. Harry found his eyes look with Daphne who gave a curious stare before Harry simply shrugged causing his princess to smile and shake her head in amusement. Soon, however, with the morning drama covered, breakfast adorned Harry's plate, and with vigor, he ate.

As breakfast came to an end, Harry groaned in misery, his last week had been eventful, to say the least, and because of it, he was running a bit behind on his homework. Plus with Hufflepuff being the most difficult game of the season for his team, he shuddered to think what Wood's practices would be like. Quickly, Harry shook that thought out of his head as he departed from the table with a sigh, "Well, I'm heading to the library to finish that paper Snape assigned, I'll be back in like 400 hours."

"Want some help?" Michael offered.

"I love you mate," Harry said with a smirk, "But somehow I don't think you'll be much help in this situation."

"Fair enough," Michael said with a chuckle as Harry left his friends behind on the lonely walk to the library.

However, it hadn't taken long until he felt the presence of the Blonde-Haired princess following behind him. He smirked as he turned around, "Couldn't stay away Princess?"

"Shut up," Daphne said with an embarrassed look, "I know you haven't had that much time to work on your homework between your practice and helping me with, well, everything. So I figure, the least I can do is help you with your potions essay. Plus, do you even know how to brew the Girding Potion?"

"I could probably figure it out," Harry responded a bit defensively.

"In the day you have to finish your four parchment scroll essay?" Daphne said with a cocked eyebrow.

"Fine, fine," Harry said with a sigh, "You win, but you know, you don't need an excuse to be around me."

"Is it bad that it's just become a habit," Daphne said cautiously.

"We'll work it out," Harry said with a chuckle, "Come on, let's get started."

However, as Harry and Daphne continued to walk down the hall, Harry instantly regretted staring at Daphne for too long as he felt his body bump into a girl, knocking her to the ground, "Sorry," Harry replied, "Let me help you up."

"It's alright," The girl said brushing her red hair out of her amber eyes, "I wasn't watching where I was- oh, it's you, hi."

Harry looked down at the girl that had hurt his friend so badly, but still kept his arm extended helping her up, "So, um," Susan started, "How have you been since the trial?"

"Good," Harry responded a bit awkwardly, "How are you?"

"I'm fine, I'm actually on my way to meet-" Susan started.

"Terry." Harry finished for her.

"Yeah," She responded timidly, "I um, I should get going now."

"Actually," Harry said softly, "Do you have a second, I need to talk to you."

"O-okay," Susan said before Harry slowly walked the red-head away from Daphne into an empty corridor, "Look, Harry, if this is about what happened with Michael, I'm not going to- I don't think I'm going to change my mind."

"I'm not asking you to," Harry spoke calmly, "You hurt him, Susan, really badly, and frankly, I don't know if I can forgive you completely for that. Granted, I don't know everything, but he's my best friend so I've got to stand up for him."

"He was my friend too," Susan spoke, "But after what he did to Terry, and then the lie he told about him cheating on me. It hurt too much, I didn't want to hurt him, really, I didn't. But I couldn't just let things stay the way they were. It wasn't good for either of us."

"It was your decision, Susan, and honestly, it's your choice if you don't want to be friends with Corner or not, I'm not really all that invested in any of that," Harry began, "But your aunt did me a huge favor with Pettigrew so I feel I should at least return it."

"Michael, he didn't lie to you about Terry cheating," Harry continued, he saw that Susan was about to protest, but Harry quickly finished his point, "Corner, he's a lot of things, lazy, easily distracted, a troublemaker, but he's not a liar. You and I both know that and you know that he cared- he cares about you. Just think about it, you know the kind of guy he is, do you honestly think he's jealous enough to beat up someone like Terry for no reason?"

Harry watched as the argument that was forming on her face vanished as she eyed the floor nervously. He gave the red-head a small head nod before departing the corridor and catching up with Daphne once more, "What was that about?"

"A family matter," Harry said softly, "Come on, clocks ticking and I've got a lot of writing to do."

* * *

**A/N: Well, this was the chapter I know a lot of people were waiting for, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. As of this chapter, I only really plan to have two maybe three more chapters until the end of the story, so it's approaching quickly. As much as I love that Harry and Daphne are now together, I have to say that my favorite part of this chapter was definitely Astoria's reaction to them being together. I know that not every single plot thread got covered in this book, but there are three (maybe four) more books left, I can't very well have everything solved in one book so please be patient. If you enjoyed this chapter please be sure to Follow, Favorite and Review! Also, if you have any communities you want to put my book into, go for it! With all that said, Until Next Time, Peace!**


	33. Chapter XXXIII: Hogwarts Quidditch Cup

**A/N: Okay first off, this story just past 300,000 views yesterday and that is absolutely incredible. Plus, it's only 80 followers away from 2K which is also insane. While I have gotten some nasty reviews for no reason, for the most part, your support has been amazing and I can't thank you enough. Only one more chapter left for this book, and I hope you're as excited about it as I am. But for now, enjoy this chapter! :)**

* * *

Chapter XXXIII: Hogwarts Quidditch Cup

**(Harry P.O.V)**

"Uh, Harry," Astoria called out from behind him, "You alright?"

Harry had heard his friend's concern, but he had a much bigger challenge on his mind. His eyes locked with Michael's in an intense staredown as the two looked like feral beasts ready to pounce each other. "You're going down, Potter," Michael mouthed from the Ravenclaw table as Harry snarled.

"Bring it, Corner," Harry returned without volume.

"Just leave it alone," Neville said with a laugh, "They are both super competitive, this is going to be one hell of a quidditch match, that's for sure."

"How are you not upset?" Astoria queried Neville, "I mean, with Cedric getting sick before the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor game, you're chance to win the Cup vanished."

Neville shrugged, "I mean, it sucks, but Hufflepuff's won for three years in a row, it'll be interesting to watch a good game, especially the one where I get to not be biased."

Harry had reflected back on that game, he was pretty upset when he found out that Cedric wasn't playing. Gryffindor had easily crushed Hufflepuff without their star-seeker, but seeing as he and Cedric were tied 1 to 1 in their pick-up games, he was hoping for a chance to crush Cedric in an actual match. Despite both Harry and Angelina's desire to postpone the game until Cedric was healthy enough to play, Hooch decline and Gryffindor entered the Cup-Final against Ravenclaw.

However, Harry supposed it wasn't all bad. He had heard that the Ravenclaw house team was a bit of a joke, but Michael's tactical mind and skill had led the Joke team of the Eagles to the finals, and Harry wanted nothing more to stop Michael's run there. It wasn't that he wanted to crush his friend's dreams, but the two were far too competitive to go easy on each other just because they were friends. In fact, their friendship had only made their rivalry stronger, and part of Harry trembled with excitement at the notion of Neville joining the Hufflepuff team and the matches becoming a game of survival among their three houses.

Harry's mock scowl turned into a grin however when he saw Hermione gently smack Michael upside the head. Harry chuckled as Michael turned to her and all he heard was, "Eat, or you're breakfast is going to get cold. Also, all your growling makes me feel like I'm eating next to a barbarian."

Harry's defiant stare had all but vanished as he chuckled seeing Michael try to keep his 'game face' on while shoveling scrambled egg into his mouth. It was far less intimidating than he was sure Michael hoped. However, while Quidditch did approach quickly, it wasn't the only event looming on the horizon. With the months seeming the fly quicker than Harry could conceive, end of the year exams were now just around the corner, and while part of Harry was thrilled school was going to be out, he was certainly going to miss his close proximity to the princess over the summer holiday.

He was pulled out of his thoughts however when a hand was placed on his shoulder, he looked up to see the stoic face of Oliver Wood staring down at him, and just as Harry had come to expect of his team captain, a notable man of few words, Wood spoke, "Potter, let's go."

Harry nodded, and with one last grin towards Astoria who had promised to cheer for him. Wood had left him in the dust, quickly hustling out of the Great Hall towards the Gryffindor Locker Room, but Harry wasn't in such a rush, and he was pretty pleased with that factor given it allowed for a certain blonde and her two friends to catch up with him.

"Flyboy," Daphne called for him.

Harry smiled as he turned around to face the girl he had held close to his heart for the past few months, "Yes, Princess?"

"You better win," She said with a tone of mock sternness, "It's bad enough I have to wear this red and gold jacket, you better not shame me by losing."

"Me, lose," Harry said in the same playful tone to match Daphne's, "Never. But if wearing the jacket's such a burden I could always take it back, despite the fact you're the one who stole it from me during the Hufflepuff game."

"It was cold," Daphne said a small blush rising to her cheeks, "And you can't have it back, it's mine now." Daphne then grinned, "Don't you know when your girlfriend takes an article of your clothing it is permanently theirs?"

"I'm not sure that's how that works," Harry said with a grin.

Only to hear the echoed responses of both Tracey and Blaise, "Yes… it is."

Harry chuckled as he shrugged, "Oh well, it looks better on you anyway."

Daphne smiled back, "Doesn't everything?"

Harry nodded before he turned his sight back to Tracey and Blaise. It had been a while since he had seen Tracey look as full of life as she did now and Blaise, though looking much better was under Tracey's constant vigilance. Still, the image of Blaise pre-rehab lying on the cot looking so close to death was something that frequented his mind as he watched the boy stepped closer to his girlfriend.

Harry smiled as Daphne rose on her toes delivering a chaste kiss to his lips before whispering a word of good luck as the three snakes began their walk towards the pitch. However, despite his best intentions, as he watched the way Blaise slugged his way through the halls, his muscles still regrowing, he couldn't help but think back on all that he and Tracey had been through.

_* Flashback *_

_Harry couldn't believe the lightness he felt in his heart as he and his princess had walked hand in hand around the Great Castle. Unlike many of the other girls that Harry had spent time with back in the muggle world, Daphne wasn't as open to her affection in public, and yet, Harry didn't seem to mind. _

_She would kiss his cheek occasionally, hold his hand when they were in public, but when they were alone Daphne didn't necessarily resist any of Harry's comforting holds or peppered kisses. He hated when he would hear rumors of the Golden Boy and the Loveless Snake. Daphne was far from loveless or cruel, she was simply reserved and Harry loved her witty banter and Ice-Queen persona. _

_The fact Daphne was capable of taking care of herself and not waiting on Harry hand and foot didn't make Harry feel like Daphne believed she was 'too good for him' as Lavender had put it. To Harry, the fact that when Daphne said she could handle something, Harry knew she meant it was a blessing. Yes, the princess was a bit headstrong and thought she could take on the world by herself, but considering Harry fell victim to the same mentality occasionally, he couldn't really complain much._

_Harry smiled to himself as he met Daphne in their designated meeting spot before breakfast, and while he had been expecting a hug from Daphne, a streak of Auburn Hair had beaten her too it as Harry felt himself crushed in the bone-breaking embrace of Tracey Davis. He had indulged the red-head for a couple of seconds, as she whispered through tearful eyes, "Thank you, thank you so much."_

"_Tracey," Harry said with strained lungs, "Can't breathe, please let go."_

"_Sorry, sorry," Tracey said as she unwrapped her arms from around him, "I just, I never said thank you. I- I don't really know what else to say, I just said thanks and I feel like that didn't even come close to expressing my gratitude. I was with Blaise all day yesterday, and while the medi-wizards say it's going to take about a month even with magic to rehab him, he should make a full recovery. I- Thank You."_

_Harry looked at his Girlfriend's best friend struggling to come up with the words, and part of Harry felt a bit embarrassed to hear someone thank him so desperately. To him, it simply felt out of place as it was his failure to produce the Patronus Charm that had left Blaise in that state, to begin with. Still, seeing the desire for a response in the girl's eyes, Harry gave a weak smile as he spoke, "Uh, you're welcome, I guess. Honestly, it was Daphne that did all the work, I was just a small part of the plan."_

"_Don't sell yourself short Flyboy," Daphne called from the distance, "As much as I would have loved to take credit for a medical miracle, I wouldn't have been able to do it without these," She spoke revealing her rune adorned wrist, "Without you."_

_Harry gave another weak smile before Tracey who had rubbed the tears of relief from her eyes spoke, "I saw those light up when you did whatever it was you did to save Blaise. What are those scribbles anyway?"_

"_First of all, they're runes, not scribbles," Daphne said and Harry couldn't help but grin as judging by Tracey's playful eye-roll it had been a frequent debate between the two girls, "And to answer your question, they are magical exchange runes."_

"_Wait, I've heard of those before," Tracey said, her eyes widening in shock, "Aren't those supposed to be the soul-mate runes?" _

"_Well technically-," Daphne started._

_But Harry couldn't help himself instead smiling as he laughed and revealed his own set, "Yep, me and the Princess, we're soulmates."_

_Tracey laughed alongside him only for the two to be silenced by Daphne's embarrassed stare, causing Harry to smile, "Aw, come on Princess, it's just a joke, I know we only just started dating, I-"_

"_You guys what!" Tracey called out in an excited outburst. Harry watched as Tracey turned to face her friend before turning back to him in quick glances. Harry shifted towards Daphne, wrapping his arm around her waist as he gently kissed her forehead causing his princess' blush to grow even larger as Tracey uttered, "These are things that I need to know."_

"_I was going to tell you," Daphne said looking at the ground, "But you were with Blaise, and I told you something happened when you got back."_

"_I don't know what's more amazing, that the Ice Queen has finally melted," Tracey started, "Or the fact that Daphne Greengrass can actually look flustered about something."_

"_Oh give it a rest will you?" Daphne muttered, "I've never been in a relationship before, part of it's well… strange."_

"_First relationship and it's with the guy you've been pretending to hate for more than half a year," Tracey said with a chuckle, "You sure know how to pick em'."_

_Harry smiled as he moved his arm from around Daphne's waist to gently around her neck pulling her closer to his chest as the two of them watched Tracey's eyes light up with glee, "Do you know what this means? I'll finally be able to plan a double date! I've been waiting for this day for months!"_

_Both Harry and Daphne placed a hand to their face shaking it in exhaustion from Tracey's quick-shifting personalities before Harry whispered, "Is she normally like this?"_

_Daphne nodded, "Ever since I first met her."_

"_Oh well," Harry said with a smile, "I've never been on a double date before, guess it'll be a first time for both of us."_

"_I guess that's one way to look at it," Daphne said as Harry smiled planting another kiss to her temple._

"_Don't look so terrified, it's only Tracey, how crazy could it be?" Harry said with a chuckle._

"_Famous last words Potter," Daphne said shaking her head as the three of them headed for the Great Hall, "Famous last words."_

_* End of Flashback *_

Harry shook that memory out of his head, on the whole, it was a good one. But the tears of relief that filled Tracey's face only served as a reminder of how much stress it had placed on her, and by extension how much stress it had placed on Daphne. While his reunion with Blaise was a bit smoother, coming after Daphne, despite his insistence that he didn't think he'd make much of a teacher, convinced him to help Blaise catch up on the spells they learned throughout the year.

Overall, Blaise was a likable enough bloke. His weird fascination with potions, primarily poisons was a bit strange coming from somebody who was as lighthearted as he was, was strange, to say the least. But for the most part, except for the occasional awkward fanboy moments he had regarding Harry's 'legend' Harry could tell why Daphne and Tracey were friends with him.

Blaise was patient and methodical, helping reign in Tracey extravagant personality, and yet he was cunning with jokes that would make you think and had an ability to get things done, something he knew from experience now put him on Daphne's good side. And yet, Harry couldn't help but notice the way that his smile never seemed to reach his eyes, how distant he could be, and how when stressed out, instead of lashing out, he clammed up. It was a curiosity, though Harry knew better than to pry.

Still, if Neville, Michael and himself made up the Troublemaker Trio, then Daphne, Tracey, and Blaise were the formidable serpent circle. He considered himself on good terms with Blaise by the time their training was over, but the real benefit of having Blaise around was not simply having a potioneer interested in some mischief, but a direct line into Malfoy's common room, and that in itself was an indispensable resource.

However, Harry had a Cup to win, and shoving aside those thoughts, he began steadying his mind as he walked towards the Gryffindor Locker Room. Though it seemed as if his interruptions hadn't finished quite yet, as soon he felt the presence of a hand on his shoulder. He turned and standing there, looking much healthier than before and with an annoyingly charming smile was Cedric Diggory, "You alright there Potter? You look a little tense."

"Yeah, I'm fine, a bit anxious, but overall I'm okay," Harry replied earnestly.

"You'll be fine, you're the best Seeker that Hogwarts has seen in a while, I'm certain of that," Cedric said with a chuckle.

"You beat me once," Harry said a grin of his own, "Don't count yourself out. Who knows how that last game would have gone if you hadn't been sick. Sorry about that by the way, we really did try to postpone the match but-"

"Don't worry about it," Cedric said waving it off, "It'll be nice going into the next season as the underdog for once. If I'm being honest, trying to go for this four-peat was a lot more pressure than I wanted. And as for our tie-breaker game, don't fret over it, we'll have a chance to decide who's the better seeker next year… After you win today."

Harry watched as Cedric lifted his fist towards him, and with a smile on his face Harry returned the bump and nodded, "It's a promise."

* * *

****(Michael P.O.V)****

As Michael departed from the Ravenclaw Tower, his Comet 260 in hand as his heart pounded in his chest. In truth, Michael didn't really care that much about flying, he loved it and he had really grown to love his position as a chaser, but he didn't share the same fanaticism about the sport that Harry had. However, despite his normally lazy stature, when it came to games, Michael found he could be quite competitive, especially when it involved trying to beat Harry.

However, the excitement in his chest had taken a bit of a beating lately as he received a letter from his mother saying that his father and her weren't going to be able to make it to the game because of business they had to take care of, and the image of seeing Terry plant a kiss on Susan as he left the area only served as a nail in the coffin. He had preached so badly about how he was over her, and while he was thankful for the support of his friends, and Harry's conversation with her in trying to change Susan's mind, his once-close friend continued living with the fantasy view of Terry in her mind, the denial still heavily etched in her heart.

Yet, Michael knew that Gryffindor was going to be one of the toughest opponents he'd face, and so despite the pain in his chest he pushed through. They had a plan, a devious one if he said so himself. He'd played enough pick up with the lions to know their strengths and weaknesses, and he planned to put it to full use.

_* Flashback *_

"_Alright," Roger Davies had called out to begin their strategy meeting, "It's been years since Ravenclaw has been given a chance to participate in the finals for the Quidditch House Cup, and now that we've worked so hard to get here, let's make sure we finish strong."_

_Every member of the Ravenclaw team nodded with vigor as Davies continued, "We all know that Gryffindor is going to be our hardest challenge yet. Potter is a dangerous seeker and Wood is a lock-down defender. That doesn't even include their devastating Chasers or the twins. We need to make sure we play our best, and play it we will." Michael felt Davies' eyes rest on him, "Corner, you said you had a plan right. Well, let's hear it."_

_Michael nodded as he stood, "Okay, well first, this isn't so much a plan as a list of observations I've made from playing and eating with the Gryffindors. First, both Spinnet and Bell are right-handed and I noticed that at dinner Angelina cuts holds her knife with her left hand. I think that if we force them to their less dominant hand when they try to throw or carry the Quaffle it will not only affect their balance of their brooms forcing them to use their dominant hand to balance rather than their off-hand and making their throwing strength weaker and less accurate as they approach."_

"_Secondly," Michael started, "I don't think we'll be able to win with a man to man defense. If we're being honest, Bell is a faster flier than I am and when it comes to Seekers, Harry's the best this school's ever seen, it would be pointless for Chang to guard him."_

"_Hey!" Cho called a bit outraged that her skill had been called out._

"_Oh relax will you?" Michael said waving off her complaint, "I'm just saying you shouldn't focus on Harry, instead, I think that you should roam between Chasers, double-teaming the one that has the Quaffle. With them already being forced into an uncomfortable hand position a good double team would render their scoring almost completely ineffective."_

"_So if I'm not on Potter, who is?" Cho asked._

"_Our beaters, both of them," Michael said, "The goal isn't to stop Harry from getting the snitch, we couldn't even if we tried, the guy is simply gifted on a broom. However, if we are able to nullify their offense, then all we have to do is stall Harry long enough for us to score 16 on Wood."_

"_That's not going to be easy," Roger said biting his lower lip in thought._

"_No, it's not," Michael nodded in agreement, "However, with us having four chasers, one for each ring plus a wildcard, a quick switch pass would hopefully be enough to break past. I admit that the plan has a lot of moving parts and it's not fool-proof, but doing what both Hufflepuff and Slytherin did against Gryffindor seems like a guaranteed loss. At least if we go with this strategy we get the early game advantage."_

_The team all stared at Michael with varying looks of concern however, the silence was lifted as Davies nodded, "Seems like a viable plan to me. We'll practice some more elaborate passes to get past Wood as well as put our Beaters through some obstacles to help them keep up with Potter long enough to stall him. Let's do our best and bring back a Cup for Ravenclaw House!"_

_* End of Flashback *_

As Michael entered the locker room, a nervous lump formed in the pit of his stomach as he watched his teammates mutter over all the fine-tuning of their plan. Just as he finished sliding on the rest of his protective gear, he felt Roger tap him on the shoulder, "Corner, just want you to know, whatever happens out there, we couldn't have made it this far without you, your mind for strategy is really something else."

Michael smiled as Roger's grip around his shoulder tightened a bit, "Now, let's go out there and win a game." Michael nodded and with one last look at his teammates, they left the locker room into the loud cheers of the Hogwarts Students and gathered spectators ready to witness the last game of the 1993-94 school year.

The blue equipment of the Ravenclaw team gleamed in the sunlight as Michael found himself face to face with Harry donned in red in center field. Harry smiled as he raised his hand, "Nervous?"

"Terribly," Michael said with a slight grin.

"Yeah, me too," Harry responded honestly. Slowly, Michael paced his hand into Harry's palm and with a nod, he watched his friend smile, "Good Luck Corner, may the best team win."

"Good luck," Michael returned as the two parted ways. Michael's eyes remained locked with Harry's as they all got into starting positions. The balls were brought out to centerfield, and as the locks on the equipment snapped open, and with the loud blow of Hooch's whistle, the game began.

* * *

****(Sirius P.O.V)****

Sirius had found himself smothered in the motherly hug of the Head of Gryffindor House the moment he had arrived on the grounds for his Godson's big game. He couldn't help but feel like a bit of a child in McGonagall's arm before she broke away with an ever rare smile, "I had always hoped it was nothing more than speculation. To think that the ministry had led me to believe that you could have betrayed James and Lily. I know this is far too late, but I hope you can forgive an old woman's foolishness."

"You, foolish?" Sirius said with a smirk, "I dare say that's impossible Granny."

Minerva shook her head despite herself, "And here I hope that you had followed Remus' lead and grown out of such nicknames and childish behavior."

Remus laughed at the notion, "Sirius growing up, that's a good one."

"Shuddup, you mutt," Sirius said bashfully.

"Says the dog," Remus teased back.

Sirius watched as Minerva sighed, a small grin on her face, "Time may pass, but some things never change." Sirius chuckled and Remus shook his head in embarrassment before the elderly woman continued, "Come along you two, I've reserved some seats at the top section of the stands for you."

"Actually, we're waiting on one last person," Sirius said with a slightly bashful smile as just outside the grounds the loud pop of an apparating person echoed through the air, and within seconds, Sirius smiled as he saw Emmeline Vance running to catch up with them.

"Sorry, meeting went a bit long, Malfoy wouldn't stop flapping his gums about the falling standards at Hogwarts," Emmeline said with a deep breath, "Sorry to keep you waiting," She then turned to face Professor McGonagall, "It's good to see you again Professor, I hope Professor Flitwick is doing well too, I haven't spoken to the man in years."

"He's spoken about you Ms. Vance," Minerva said with a polite nod, "You were one of his favorite students. Which leads me to wonder how you ended up with my two wayward cubs."

Sirius shook his head with gentle embarrassment as Remus grinned mocking his flustered state before Emmeline responded, "Well, Sirius and I were partners during the time of the First Order, we both agreed it would be nice to catch up, especially now that he's no longer a convict. Though… a girl does love a-"

"Alright," Sirius spoke loudly, "I think we've sat around long enough. If you'd be so kind, can you please show us where we're going to be sitting Granny."

Sirius groaned internally as he watched McGonagall and Remus share a grin-filled exchange before the Head of Gryffindor house nodded and escorted them to the pitch. The last time Sirius had been at the pitch, he was confined to his dog form, and now that he had returned in a more natural state, he couldn't help but smile at how nostalgic it felt to be in the Gryffindor Stands once more.

He remembered coming with Remus and Pettigrew to every game Gryffindor played, ready to cheer James on until their voices were gone. Now he had returned, one marauder down and with a different purpose, to cheer on his godson to his first Hogwarts Quidditch Cup. However, Sirius was interested in one other factor, Michael Corner, the boy Harry had written to him about, asking if he could stay over the summer. Despite the fact that Corner was without a doubt Harry's best friend, he knew surprisingly little about the Ravenclaw boy, and unlike Neville whom he knew the family of, the Ravenclaw boy was a complete mystery. The only thing he really knew was that with the addition of Michael to the Ravenclaw team, the Eagles had finally clawed their way to a finals spot and Sirius had a feeling it was going to be a good game.

The enthusiasm that shone in the Gryffindor's Head of House was an indicator that Sirius was right, and with a small grin he spoke, "You look excited, is the new Ravenclaw Chaser truly that good."

"He might not be as fast as James for instance," McGonagall spoke, "But that boy is as clever as they come, sometimes a bit too clever for his own good."

The whistle of Madam Hooch focused the crowd, and with the sudden roar of applause, Katie Bell took the Quaffle as Harry sped off in search of the flickering gold ball. Instantly, Sirius noticed something strange, not one, but two brooms instantly took off after Harry, and Sirius couldn't help but wonder, _They're far too large to be seekers… wait, are those bat? They're sending their beaters after Harry?" _However, the mysteries hadn't stopped, as soon, Sirius had looked up to see that the Gryffindor seeker not only looked a bit unsteady on her broom, but she was being double-teamed.

"How devious!" The announcer, an African boy with dreadlocks boomed into the mic, "Not only has Ravenclaw chaser Michael Corner forced chaser Bell onto her less dominant hand, but Chang has also matched him on the other side, what kind of strategy is this?"

"Bell! Pass!" A girl shouted as her red cloak flapped behind allowing Sirius to barely read the word Spinnet across it.

Sirius watched as the girl desperately tried to pass, but as soon as the Quaffle left her hand, instantly, Corner saw his opportunity and swiped it from her, "Unbelievable! Michael Corner has stolen the Quaffle, and instantly all four chasers it seems are making a rush for Wood!"

Despite being on the opposition, Sirius couldn't help but be slightly impressed in the team's high-risk, high-reward strategy. As Michael raced the rings, Oliver Wood prepared himself to block the incoming shot. Michael lifted his hand and pulled. Wood dove for the ring in question, but Sirius had to marvel at the fluidity of his fake, and if the fake hadn't been skillful enough, he watched as Michael tossed the Quaffle up in the air just high enough for a boy named Davies to smack in the first goal with the back of his Broom.

"He did that all without moving his head," Sirius spoke in stunned amazement, "That boy's field of vision is beyond impressive." Sirius turned to look at Professor McGonagall who at this point seemed to be bubbling at the Ravenclaw's Strategy.

"That boy is far too clever," Mcgonagall repeated worriedly. The game had certainly begun.

* * *

****(Michael P.O.V)****

Michael rubbed the sweat out of his eyes, trying to keep his panting low. Their strategy was working, they had nullified the Gryffindor Offense apart from Harry, and they were up 140-20. They're force and double-man defense had done its job, even when Fred and George had tried to get involved, all the players being in close proximity had forced the twins to keep doing their jobs, protecting the team from any bludgers and by extension, the twins were protecting his team as well. However, what Michael hadn't considered in great detail was the amount of burnout they were facing, and while their beaters had done a good job screwing Harry out of some close snitch catches, they two were falling behind his nimble best friend.

Worst yet, both Wood and Johnson were getting pissed, and despite their exhaustion, they were becoming faster and faster. Of the teams last six shots, only one had gotten past an ultra-focused Wood. They needed four more goals and they needed them fast.

With haste, he took off, his body aching from the heavy defense they had been playing as he bolted towards the hood, desperate to end the dry run. Swiftly, he ducked beneath Alicia's first initial swipe, but the Gryffindor Chasers had incredible synergy, and before he could even notice, the Quaffle had been popped out of his grip with a punch from Angelina. _Shit, _Michael swore to himself, turning in desperate pursuit of the stolen red ball, but it looked as if Johnson was a robot, never tiring as she only began picking up more and more speed.

As Michael pushed himself forward, he watched in horror as their double-teaming began to fall apart, Johnson had blown past Davies, and Chang was even further behind than he was. The pain only continued as he watched Angelina throw the quaffle into the air, and with a shout of fury, she punched the ball past Page scoring yet another ten points. If that wasn't bad enough, Jordan had announced some more bad news, "Harry Potter has broken past, and it seems like he's seen the snitch, Gryffindor may just be able to turn this around."

Michael turned facing Inglebee and Samuels, their face beet red in exhaustion as they tried to muster the energy to take off after Harry. "Inglebee! Samuels!" Michael shouted, "Pull off! Help us score!"

The two beaters nodded, and knowing now that Harry had broken past, there was no point in continuing the run interference. With six members strong, the Ravenclaw team raced towards the goals, knowing time was of the essence, and with quick and rampant passes, they had found themselves in the face of Wood who looked exhausted and overwhelmed. Just as Davies had positioned himself to throw, from the side, Chang rushed in and knocked it into the far left hoop.

"It looks like this game is still far from over!" Jordan spoke nervously, "The only question now is will Potter find the snitch before the Ravenclaws score four times!"

Instantly, they broke once more, and Michael felt his mind go into auto-piolet as he ducked and dodged bludgers and swings, racing and chasing the quaffle down to the best of his ability. His perception of time had dulled, he didn't know if ten minutes had passed, or if it had been an hour. His lungs hurt, his head was throbbing, and his heart pounded in heavily in his chest. However, one phrase had brought him back to reality, "Merlin's Beard!" Jordan spoke as the crowd gasped, "Harry Potter's jumped off his broom!"

Instantly, Michael turned towards his friend and watched as Harry leapt forward, wrapping his hand around the snitch as he began to plummet hundreds of feet. _You reckless idiot,_ Michael thought to himself as he bolted towards his falling friend who he noticed was struggling to pull out his wand from his own exhaustion. Out of the corner of his eye, Michael saw a group of teachers and bystanders with their wands at the ready, expecting the worst casinario. But thankfully, a sigh of relief filled the stands as Michael caught Harry's open hand as they slowly descended to the ground.

"What a terrific save from Corner, that's what we call good sportsmanship Ladies and Gentlemen!" Jordan spoke before Harry slowly lifted his hand, "What's this! Harry Potter has caught the Snitch! I can't believe it! Gryffindor Wins!"

As Michal rolled off his broom, both he and Harry panted at the bottom of the grassy pitch, exhaustion making it difficult to speak. It had taken Michael a few seconds before turning to Harry and shaking his head, "You are absolutely insane when you play this game. Why would you even think about jumping off your broom that high up?"

"I wanted to win," Harry said with a weak grin, "Plus, I knew you wouldn't let me faceplant into the ground."

"You're a maniac," Michael said with a chuckle before the two both laughed in tired-struck delirium, "Your girlfriend's going to be so pissed."

"Probably," Harry said clutching his abdomen from the laughter, "But to be fair it isn't the dumbest thing I've done all year." It was quiet for a moment before Harry continued, "It was a good game, you thought up quite the irritating strategy."

"How do you know it was me?"

"Only you would be insane enough to make a strategy that revolved around me getting the snitch and ending the game," Harry said with a smile as he pushed himself off the ground to his feet before offering Michael a hand, "Good Game, Corner."

Michael was a bit upset by the lost, it was probably the hardest he'd ever worked at anything, but seeing his friend smiling down on him, Michael couldn't help but shake the negative thoughts out of his head as he took his friend's hand, pulling him up to his feet, "Good Game, Potter. Next time, we'll win."

"Bring it on," Harry replied as the two bumped their knuckles putting their rivalry behind them… for now.

* * *

****(Dumbledore P.O.V)****

Harry Potter, the boy was certainly a mystery. He seemed to have a good heart and a desire to help, but something darker always lurked just beneath the surface. Every time he had entered the boy's mind, a feat that was becoming more and more difficult as his occlumency grew, in fact, passive legilimency had become an impossibility, yet Dumbledore couldn't help but feel a sliver of anger within the boy's heart.

However, Dumbledore had hope. Harry was not like Tom, his friendships seemed genuine, his ability to love was astronomical, and while forgiveness was a difficulty for the boy, completely losing his trust was nearly impossible, even for a man like himself. Harry possessed a different power, not one of magical superiority or political movement, though both of those were important factors, the boy possessed a power unlike his mother and father, he could make allies of the most unlikely groups.

Albus had acknowledged certain flaws within the housing of students at Hogwarts, many remained close to their housemates and never really branched out. Yet, the boy had made a best friend in a Ravenclaw as well as in Hufflepuff. His romantic relationship with a Slytherin was another surprising feat, and it wasn't as if the boy only had one friend in each house, many people seemed to flock to Harry, a power that Dumbledore hoped would prove useful in the wars to come.

However, at the moment, Dumbledore had to contain himself. He wasn't acting as the head of the Order at the moment, currently, he was simply the Headmaster, and he had a role to play. While he looked at the shining Quidditch House Cup trophy, he smiled sadly. He wished he had more time to join in the festivities, but with Sirius and Remus awaiting him in his office to discuss summer arrangements, time was of the essence.

Slowly Dumbledore lifted the cup as the Great Hall grew silent and with a booming and yet calm voice he spoke, "To everyone who participated in the inter-house Quidditch Cup competition, I would like to applaud your efforts. It is not easy to manage social commitments, educational expectations, and intense training schedules, but every single one of you, in every position ranging from Keeper to Seeker have done an exceptional job."

"Yet, there can only be one winner," Dumbledore spoke with a smile, "And it is with great joy that I am able to gift this year's cup for the 1993-94 school year to the Gryffindor Quidditch Team!" The Lion's table boomed with applause and Dumbledore couldn't help but relish in the fact that not only did the lions clap, but Cedric Diggory, Michael Corner, Cho Chang, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis, and Blaise Zabini all joined in.

However, the team had yet to send a representative to bring their trophy to the table, and it was only through Dumbledore's enhanced hearing did he realize the dilemma, "It should be you Wood," Harry spoke honestly, "You're the captain."

"Perhaps," Wood returned, "But I think the team universally agrees that you were our most-valuable player this year. You should be the one that carries the trophy."

"I just joined, I mean, shouldn't someone more senior-," But Harry was stopped as the two twins slapped him on the back.

"Oh stop being a stupid git and go grab the trophy, we'll pass it around when you get here, but we all agree it should be you. Now go!"

Thunderous applause boomed once more as Harry looking more nervous than he had ever recalled seeing the boy approached the platform, stepping carefully as the boy found a spot next to him. With a grandfatherly smile, Dumbledore placed the trophy in Harry's hand and with one last call out he spoke, "Congratulations Gryffindor on an excellent showing of physical achievement!" And with a wave of his wand 100 points were added to the Gryffindor total house points placing them well ahead of everyone else.

The applause continued as Harry carried the trophy back to his table, and with everyone situated and dinner beginning, Dumbledore excused himself to attend to the other business at hand. As he left the jovial great hall towards his chambers, he couldn't recall the last time he had felt so out of control. He was the king, the leader of the light, his word should have been enough to generate momentum, but now, the security of the wizarding world relied on if he had built up enough trust with a thirteen-year-old boy and his family.

Once or twice, more heavy-handed ideas of manipulation had crossed his mind, but this Harry hadn't been broken by the Dursleys and so desperate for love that he'd do anything Dumbledore said without question. No, this Harry had been raised spoiled and had greater social skills and understanding of his environment than Dumbledore would have preferred. No, his slow and cautious method was his best chance, and now was the time to see if his goals had paid off. If he could enter the Order then he could manipulate it with his status, even if Harry was the new figurehead.

"Sherbet Lemon," He spoke to his gargoyle gatekeeper and as the stone beast moved aside he entered.

As he walked up the steps, the clicking of his heels and the roaring fire being the only sounds that echoed through the tower he found the two men he had been looking for sitting in chairs awaiting his arrival, "My apologies to keep you both waiting, there was school business to attend to. I imagine you know why I asked you both to stay after the match."

"You want in on the new Order of the Phoenix," Sirius spoke sternly.

"It appears my intentions are all to discernable," Dumbledore spoke with an elderly laugh.

"If only that were the case," Remus spoke softly, "Albus, you would be a great asset to the Order, of that there is no doubt. You have wisdom, and strength, things that will be crucial against Voldemort in the upcoming war, but Sirius and I have some concerns."

"Before we reveal to you the location of where we plan to hold the Order meetings, we need you to agree to certain terms," Sirius spoke, "You are an advisor, you are not a general, or anyone with direct power over the operations of the Order. When we played it your way in the last war, so many of our comrades died by your attempt at a peaceful resolution. We went along with it because we were kids fresh out of Hogwarts with no idea of how cruel the war would be, and what we had to lose. We know that now, and we will be using lethal force if necessary. You need to accept that as the new rules of engagement."

"Surely you don't mean to authorize the use of unforgivables," Dumbledore spoke aghast, "It's not just the illegality of the spell, the effect those spells can have on one's soul, on one's conscious, it's astronomical."

"There are other spells to kill enemies besides Avada Kedavra," Sirius spoke, "I don't want to do it, I'd rather bring these people in to face justice. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep the corruption out of the Wizengamot this time with Emmeline and Augusta, as well as Bones. But we won't be fighting with our hands tied behind our back again."

"Surely these people deserve a chance," Dumbledore spoke, "Their minds have been polluted with Voldemort's ideals, you don't-"

"I acknowledge what I'm saying. My own brother was a death eater, as is my cousin," Sirius spoke, "I don't have any desire to spill blood, but they aren't going to give us a chance and us allowing them a trial is more than they deserve. The people responsible for killing Lily and James, the ones who tortured Frank and Alice, the ones who killed Benjy, Dorcas, Edgar, Fabian, Gideon, and Marlene, they don't deserve forgiveness."

"We haven't forgotten any of the fallen, perhaps you have, but those memories, they'll stay with us forever," Remus spoke solemnly, "We won't be adding Harry, or anyone else if we can help it to that list."

"Which brings us to our final major condition," Sirius said, "If you want to fight the Darkness, we aren't going to turn away your help. But this isn't your war anymore Albus, this is Harry's. He needs your guidance, your strength, your advice, but when the time comes, he's the one that fights Voldemort, he makes the choices. Do you consent to these terms."

Dumbledore cursed internally to himself, yet his passive expression wouldn't allow it to show. He needed to be in charge, why couldn't anyone see that his way was best? Still, not all hope was lost. Perhaps, he could plant some subliminal hints into Harry's mind during their training over the summer to skew him towards his side. Dumbledore figured there would be time to formulate his plan later. And as he lifted his hand in agreement to the vow, he had learned the re-learned the location of the New Order, 12 Grimmauld Place.

* * *

**A/N: So this chapter was definitely one of the longer ones. I hope you all didn't mind the large time-skip that happened, I tried to flashback to any really important parts that would have happened over these months, but honestly, for the most part, I'm done with almost all the events that need to happen with this book. Hopefully next book I'll do a better job spacing out some of the events. Part of what happens if you write on the fly I guess.**

**Also, I know that some people probably wanted to see the Hufflepuff v. Gryffindor Quidditch game, but 1) I have a newfound respect for J.K. Rowling because holy crap Quidditch matches are tiring to write and 2) I really wanted to end with a Michael and Harry bro moment.**

**Finally, I know some people are going to be upset with Susan for still being with Boot even after Harry's conversation with her, but as someone who was cheated on for nearly 2 years in a relationship despite being a relatively intelligent person. Even if you notice that things aren't adding up, your mind will want to assume the best for your own protection. That's what's been going on with Boot and Susan. She's going to need to see it with her own eyes before she understands the truth.**

**With all that said, only one chapter left in this first book and I've already been planning out the story-line for the second so please keep the hype alive. If you enjoyed this chapter, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, and Review! Until Next Time, Peace!**


	34. Chapter XXXIV: End of Term

**A/N: And here it is, the last chapter of Harry Black: Book 1. It's hard to believe that this story is finally coming to an end. There were definitely some highs and lows as I wrote through this story, but I'm glad that I saw this book through, and I hope you are all super excited for the next Book. Without Further Ado, let's hop into the final chapter of Book 1!**

***** Super Important Author's Note About Future Story Updates at the Bottom! Please Read It!*****

* * *

Chapter XXXIV: End of Term

**(Daphne P.O.V)**

Daphne sat nervously outside of the Defense Classroom, her exam concluded but her heart still pounding in her chest. Defense had never exactly been a strong suit for her, but she had hoped she'd earned at least an E for her efforts, though Harry had insisted she was on the path for an O. She smiled as she reminisced on their training sessions where he showed her a variety of spells ranging from hex-deflection, a fifth-year skill, and tricks to help improve her shield charm. Still, despite her normally level-headed nature, she couldn't help but get nervous during exam times.

Those thoughts were pushed out of her head though as she heard the creak of the Defense Classroom door open and watched as Harry walked out with an easy grin. Instantly, their eyes locked and Daphne couldn't help but return a smile as Harry's grew before they interlocked hands, "How do you think you did?" Daphne asked cautiously.

"I think I did fine," Harry said with a shrug, "Proctor seemed nice enough and the written part of the exam wasn't that bad."

"Just fine?" Daphne queried, "What did you get on the Kappa question, I said that they tend to be attracted to shallow ponds and feed on human blood, but I'm not sure if I'm confusing them with Grindylows, they are both water demons and-"

But before she could finish her tirade, she felt Harry's lips press against her, silencing her as she allowed a sigh release from her lungs, "Relax Princess," Harry spoke gently as they broke apart, "I know you did amazing, you had a great tutor after all."

"Somehow, I knew you'd find a way to make it about you," Daphne said with a grin as shook her head playfully.

"Isn't everything?" Harry teased and Daphne couldn't resist from smacking him gently on the shoulder, "Alright, alright," Harry spoke with a chuckle, "But it looks like we're the first ones to finish all our exams, come on, let's get some fresh air."

Daphne couldn't resist allowing a chuckle to leave her mouth as she followed her boyfriend out of the castle and onto the Hogwarts ground. Signing up to take the exams at the earliest allotted time had been her idea, and while Harry was initially opposed to the idea due to the fact of having to get up at six in the morning, the fact that the grounds were so much less crowded than normal seemed to make all the early onset nerves worth it.

Daphne would never admit it aloud, if she did then she feared Harry's head would grow so big that he wouldn't be able to stand upright, but as she walked around the grounds hand in hand with her first boyfriend ever, with nobody there to interfere, she had felt happier than she could ever recall in recent history. She listened to his stupid jokes about magical creatures and she cursed to herself as she let out a laugh at his awful vampire pun, "Why did the vampire break up with her boyfriend? Because he wasn't her type."

It was something about Harry's light-hearted nature that really seemed to balance out her constantly on edge attitude. Soon, however, they had found themselves beneath the large tree crawling with bowtruckles that overlooked the Black Lake, and Daphne had allowed herself to lean back into Harry's chest as he wrapped his arms around her and rested his head atop hers as they looked blankly into the distance. His jittery fingers that were normally so focused on catching the snitch she had gifted him had found a new activity in rubbing her hands gently, and despite the fact that she couldn't see his face, she knew he had his patented lazy grin adorned upon it.

"I still can't believe it's been five months," Daphne spoke just loud enough for Harry to hear.

"That almost makes it sound like you didn't believe we were going to last this long," Harry returned but in a playful tone.

"I mean, to be fair, I hated you for about as long as we've been together now," Daphne spoke with a smile, "I think it's safe to say that this was certainly unexpected."

"Maybe for you," Harry spoke, wrapping his arms around her tightly, "But I always had a feeling that it was going to end up this way."

"Oh really," Daphne said looking up at him with a smile, "And please tell me how you knew Flyboy? Are you a secret seer?"

"Nothing that fantastical, I'm afraid," Harry said with a chuckle, "It was just this feeling I had the moment you bumped into me at Diagon Alley. It felt like there was a spark."

"I don't know how you got that impression," Daphne said with a smile, "I'm pretty sure all that happened was I rudely turned you down after you offered to buy me more mint-chocolate chip ice cream."

"We've come so far," Harry said with a laugh, causing Daphne to smile as he saw his rune-inscribed wrist. Harry must have seen what she was looking at and with a smile he spoke, "This year's been pretty crazy, hasn't it?"

"We fought a death eater, took down 100 hundred dementors, sat through a trial, and dove into a soul," Daphne said as she recounted the events, "Not to mention you scared the crap out of me when I saw you jump off your broom. It's almost like you're trying to give me a heart attack. I'd say crazy is a bit of an understatement."

"Aww, so you do care," Harry teased.

Gently, Daphne nudged him with her elbow as she growled lowly, fighting the blush off her face, "Shut up."

"Sorry, hopefully, next year will be a bit easier on you as my girlfriend," Harry said with a grin, "I solemnly swear to stay out of too much trouble."

"The fact you had to put a modifier on your promise is worrisome in itself," Daphne said with the soft shake of her head, "And how can you be so sure this isn't going to be something that fizzles away over the summer? I mean, I don't know the first thing about a relationship, and while I don't want this to end, sometimes I can't help but think about it."

"Yeah," Harry spoke as gentle as always, "That's not going to happen."

"How can you say things like that with such confidence," Daphne said turning to lock her eyes with his, the concern apparent in them.

"Because I plan on being with you for as long as you want me around," Harry said with a smile, "Whether that be one year, five years, fifty years. I'm all yours Princess." Harry then focused once more on his runes, "Runes or no runes, we share a connection, I have faith in that."

"You idiot," Daphne said with a watery smile. She had always carried a concern in her heart that Harry would be like everything else in her life, placed on a timer. Astoria, the absent love of her parents, the time until Blaise and Tracey moved away, everything just seemed so inevitable and yet, the way Harry smiled down at her had felt so permanent. He was right, they shared a connection, something special, and while Daphne may not have known the first thing about being a girlfriend, or operating as a couple, maybe like Harry, she could have faith in their bond. She wrapped her hand around his tie, and slowly, she placed her lips against his, the two melded together as she wrapped her arms around his neck. They broke apart slowly and Harry's gentle smile warmed her body, before slowly, she spoke, "You better not forget to write me this summer."

"Not a chance, Greengrass," Harry responded and Daphne couldn't help but grin at the line Harry had stolen from her, "In fact, I'll do you one better." From his pocket, Harry pulled out two tickets and smiled, "I was going to wait until we were on the dinner, to be honest, but after you told me about how much you loved stargazing, I ended up buying us tickets for a star show at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich."

Here eyes opened in shock, "I've always wanted to go there, but Tracey never really cared much for Astrology and my parents- well, they aren't exactly pro-muggle. This is-, you're amazing, you know that Flyboy?"

"Can you run that by me again?" Harry teased, "I missed it the first time."

"Well then too bad," Daphne said with a smirk, "If I gave you too many compliments your head would explode."

"Fair enough Princess," Harry teased, kissing her forehead gently, "Fair enough."

* * *

****(Astoria P.O.V) ****

The end of the school year was a strange experience for Astoria. Hogwarts had become so much like her home over the past months, and she wasn't too excited about leaving to return back to the Greengrass Manor. It was bad enough that Daphne rarely spent any time in the house, but Astoria also felt saddened that she'd be losing connection with Harry as well. Despite the fact that he and her sister were dating now, Astoria couldn't help but look up to Harry as her older brother, and the recent time they had been spending together with Harry helping her tweak some of her spells for the exams had only made how much Astoria would miss him over the summer abundantly clear.

Yet, there were some good things. According to the point chart, while Hufflepuff did come close, Harry and the Gryffindor's Team victory over Ravenclaw had secured the House Cup victory for the lions, and seeing as it was the first time this had happened in years Astoria knew the last night in the castle would be eventful, to say the least. Before she even noticed, a hand was soon placed atop her head and with a calm and recognizable tone, the person said, "Why do you look so glum, Short-Stack?"

"I guess it's just strange," Astoria said with a sigh, "For the first time, I'm not all that excited about Summer. Normally, it makes me happy because Daphne would come for two weeks or so, but now, it's going to be like she isn't even around anymore."

"Wait," Harry spoke softly, "Don't you two live together, why would you only see her for two weeks?"

"Oh," Astoria spoke, "Sorry, I thought Daphne would have told you. Our family relationship, primarily between our dad and her, it isn't so great. Normally, she lives with Tracey for most of the summer, it's sort of better for everyone that way."

"Except you," Harry spoke kindly.

"Yeah," Astoria said with a glum smile, "It's not that I hate my parents or anything, but- I don't know, it's just complicated. Daphne already does so much for me, I don't want her to move back in just so she can be miserable for me to not feel so alone."

"Have you talked to her about it?" Harry spoke, "And what caused this rift in your family if you don't mind me asking?"

"I, um, sorry. I don't really want to talk about what happened," Astoria said, and while she tried to project a smile, she feared that Harry saw the falseness inside it, "But no, I haven't really talked to Daphne about it, and I'm begging you not to either. It's actually why I'm so excited you two are together now. She's always so stressed out and worried about problems that are much bigger than she is, I don't want to add any more burdens to her, it wouldn't be fair."

"Well, I guess you'll tell me what's wrong when you're ready," Harry said the same lazy grin that Astoria had come to admire, despite any difficulties, even if it was faked, Harry would never allow anyone to see him depressed. However, as Harry rested his hand atop her head she heard Harry continue, "But if your older sister's hands are tied, maybe your older brother can help. I already have Corner staying with me over the summer, but if you ever need me, just call for my elf and he'll bring me right over, or maybe I'll see if you can come to visit me."

"You'd do that for me?" Astoria asked happily.

"Sure, you're like my little sister Short-Stack," Harry said still grinning, "I'm always here for you. Plus, we're going to need to work on those flying skills if you want to join the Quidditch Team next year."

"You think I could join the team next year?" Astoria said, her eyes sparkling in her eyes with wonder.

"I wouldn't have given you my old broom if I thought you were hopeless now would I?" Harry said with a smile, and before Harry could even prepare himself. Astoria pounced him hugging him tightly as Harry momentarily struggled to breathe. Slowly, Astoria removed her arms from around Harry, though, before she even had a chance to respond, the clinking sound of a spoon against a chalice filled the Great Hall as Dumbledore rose from his seat.

Instantly the room grew silent as Astoria watched the elderly Headmaster survey the landscape of children. Before he cleared his throat and began to speak, "Welcome everyone to the end of term feast!" The crowd applauded before slowly dying down to allow Dumbledore to continue, "It is the deepest hope in my heart, that each and every one of you found your year at Hogwarts enjoyable and fulfilling. The journey to a proper magical education is a long one, but I am proud to say that with the end of the year exams concluded, you have all come one step closer to accomplishing your goals in the Wizarding World."

Once again, applause rang from each table as Dumbledore continued, "For those students leaving us this term, and moving on to their next adventure, we wish you the best and hope you feel prepared and excited to take on the world as the adults you have become. However, before the feast can begin and the night ends, there has been one long standing tradition, and it is one that I as Headmaster am proud to have the duty of. It is time to award the House with the most points, the House Cup!"

A hushed silence filled the room, something that Astoria found strange as most people knew who would win before even entering the Great Hall, but she had to give it to the Headmaster, he was very good at drumming up the suspense. Astoria couldn't help but grin as the grandfatherly warm smile appeared across Dumbledore's face as he lifted the House Cup and turned to Professor McGonagall, "The Winner of This Year's House Cup Is… Gryffindor!"

Instantly the table of lions cheered at the top of their lungs, and even though both she and Harry didn't exactly care much about the competition between the houses unless it was quidditch related, they too clapped as the Gryffindor's allowed the joy of winning the cup for the first time in years fill their hearts. She couldn't help but smile as she watched Harry turn to Daphne who mouthed 'Nice Job,' to him in silence among the angry snake pit. It was hard to believe but as the food appeared on the table commencing the End of Term Feast, Astoria had no choice but to accept that this year was finally coming to an end.

* * *

****(Harry P.O.V)****

Harry slung his arm around his girlfriend and smiled as she leaned into his shoulder to rest as the train bumped along the tracks on the way back to King's Cross Station. How the year had passed so fast, he never would have guessed, but as he looked the way seeing Michael looking back at him, he couldn't help but reminisce about the time they had first met. "The first train ride this year was a lot less crowded," Michael said with a chuckle.

"You sound like you're complaining," Harry teased, "Are you afraid of an audience when you lose at Exploding Snap."

"I love Exploding Snap," Tracey spoke in excitement, "I've never lost a game."

"It's true," Daphne spoke bitterly, "One time I watched her so carefully to see if she was cheating, but got nothing. Tracey is just insanely good at the game."

"Want me to deal you in?" Harry asked with a smile as Tracey quickly nodded, "Nev, Hermione?"

"I'm out," Nevile said shaking his head, "I don't have the money to afford to play against Tracey."

"I'll give it a try," Hermione spoke, "Both no bets yet, I'm still figuring out how this game works."

Harry nodded before turning to the Greengrass sister sitting on either side of him, "Princess, Short-Stack?"

"Pass," Daphne said, "I already know how this is going to go. Wake me up when Tracey wins, I'm exhausted."

"I'll play," Astoria spoke happily before Blaise too asked to be dealt in.

With cards in hand, they played and Harry's jaw nearly dropped as Daphne's asserition proved to be correct. Five times they had played, and five times Tracey had won. With a bright grin on her face, Tracey spoke, "Anyone wanna put money on it?"

"No," The cabin responded at once.

"You're no fun," Tracey said pouting like a child forcing Michael to laugh.

"You know Tracey," Michael said with a grin, "If you want to hustle people out of money, you lose the first game, then you wager."

"I know that," Tracey said, "But if I lost, even if it was on purpose, I wouldn't be undefeated and that's not worth it." Harry chuckled as he watched Neville shake his head in amusement as Hermione seemed about ready to burn a hole through her cards with her glare. She only seemed to calm down when Neville had placed his hand on her shoulder pulling her back into her normal posture.

With a yawn, Daphne awoke from her short nap, and Harry smiled as he softly kissed her temple, "Morning, Princess? Have a nice nap?"

Daphne nodded, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she spoke, "So, did Tracey win?"

"Of course I won," Tracey said with a smirk, "What kind of question is that?"

The cabin laughed once more as Harry listened to each of his cabin-mates talk about how they were spending their summer vacation. And while Harry knew Daphne was hiding some things about her true summer plans, Harry knew it wasn't out of malicious intent but simply a desire to not want to share. A desire while he knew to be unhealthy, was something he understood.

The train continued barrelling down the tracks as Hermione described in great detail about how she was going to Rome and gave everyone a detailed history of a surprising amount of Roman Emperors and while Michael, Astoria and himself struggled to keep their eyelids open, he was surprised at how engaged not only Neville, but Daphne was in the conversation. Thankfully, however, by the grace of God, the compartment door slid open and behind it, the Weasley Twins.

Before even asking, they ushered Harry out of the compartment leaving his confused Girlfriends and the others behind before he was brought to a nearly empty cabin with only Angelina Johnson in it. "Harry," Fred started, "We want you to have these."

"Thanks, um," Harry started a bit lost, "What exactly are these?"

"What are these," George mocked, "Can you believe this, Fred? What do you think they are?"

"Knowing you two," Harry said with a grin, "Probably explosives."

"Please," Fred said waving it off, "We aren't one-trick ponies, there is only one exploding gag in there. The others are a few new inventions we're trying to pilot for when we open our store one day."

"We've got a screaming yo-yo," George said.

"Boxing Telescope," Fred continued.

"Weather in a bottle."

"Sticky Trainers."

"And even an electric shock shake," The twins said in unison, "We want to test them out, let us know what you think. You are our apprentice after all, and seeing as you and Michael will be spending the summer together, it's a perfect opportunity."

"Speaking of which," Harry said, "Why didn't you drag Michael out here?"

"Well, with law-abiding Granger in there, we didn't want to draw too much suspicion," The twins said with a bright grin, "Just bringing you means you can lie about it being a Quidditch Meeting. Try them out okay, please?"

"Fine, fine," Harry said with a laugh, "I'll give you both my unbiased review, but when you do start planning locations and things, let me know, I'd love to invest in the start-up."

The twins nodded eagerly before pushing him out of the compartment back towards his own, and with an awkward wave towards Angelina he returned to his friends in their crowded box. As Harry returned to his compartment, instantly, all eyes fell upon him and with a charismatic grin answering the unspoken question he replied, "Quidditch Stuff."

The cabin nodded and Harry returned to his seat between the Greengrass Sisters as he wrapped his fingers around Daphne's hand while nestling his hand atop Astoria's. Michael grinned in amusement as Hermione absent-mindedly leaned into Neville, and though a smile laced his faced, a fire erupted in his belly, _I'm not going to let anything destroy this._

Harry yawned loudly as he leaned back into the comfy train cushion, and slowly, he drifted off to sleep, his head resting gently against Daphne's, his consciousness only lasting long enough to get a quick glance at Tracey's smug grin. He wasn't sure how long he slept, but he was awoken by the whistling of the Hogwarts Express entering the station and the soft nudge of his girlfriend, "Time to wake up Flyboy, I thin you got enough beauty sleep."

"You can never get too much beauty sleep, Princess," Harry spoke in a raspy voice before clearing it as the group slowly began to depart the Hogwarts Express.

One by one, Harry watched as the group departed. Tracey running towards her father that was waiting for her at the platform followed by Blaise whose mother once again seemed to be notably absent. Next was Hermione, she quickly wrapped both himself and Michael in a hug, but the one she gave Neville did last a bit longer before she strode off towards her parents, two very well dressed muggles.

"Granger must be loaded, huh?" Michael teased as he nudged Neville playfully.

"I um, I guess," Neville stuttered, knowing he'd been caught by his friends staring a bit too long at Hermione as she departed the station with a wave. However, it wasn't long until they had all found themselves face to face with Augusta Longbottom.

"It's good to see you again Harry, Michael," She spoke with a friendly nod, "I do hope you'll be spending some time at Longbottom Manor this summer."

"That's the plan Granny," Harry spoke before Daphne nudged him.

"She's Lady Augusta Longbottom," Daphne spoke, "You shouldn't be so casual in formal settings."

"For the most part," Augusta said with a smile impressed by Daphne's aptitude for social climates, "She would be correct. But seeing as the Potter's and Longbottom's have been allies for so long, too much formality wouldn't make very much sense." Harry turned grinning at his girlfriend before Augusta continued, "My floo is always open to you, both of you."

"Thanks, Granny," Harry and Michael replied together leaving Daphne looking a bit appalled as the elderly woman and Neville began walking away, "We'll right you real soon Nev! Keep up your training, you're gonna be a killer keeper come next year!"

Neville turned around shyly giving a thumbs up before he too left the station leaving only Michael, Harry, Astoria, and Daphne alone, with Daphne getting looks that screamed _Get a move on _from Tracey and Blaise.

"Hey Astoria," Daphne spoke, "Have you seen Mother or Father?"

"I um," Astoria spoke looking around only to have a hand placed on her shoulder from behind.

"Astoria," A tall man called from behind her.

"Father," Astoria replied a bit shocked, and instantly, Harry felt his mindstate switch to the defensive. The Greengrass Patriarch was tall, with hair much like Astoria's except will a streak of silver-grey running through it. But it wasn't so much his stature that intimidated Harry, his magic, for lack of a better word, it felt… foul.

"Ah, you must be Harry Potter," The man said standing over him, "You've brought my little girl into quite a bit of trouble this year haven't you. All that business with Death-Eaters and Dementors. I must admit, I'm not a fan of your involvement with my daughters, either of them."

"I'm not your daughter," Daphne spoke her eyes piercing her father as their icy-blue stares fought each other in silence for dominance.

"My blood runs through your veins young lady," Mr. Greengrass spoke, "I may have given you a long leash, but I will not tolerate disrespect." Mr. Greengrass then sighed, "Well, I suppose you'll be returning to the Davis household this summer as usual, is that correct."

"Yes," Daphne responded curtly.

Once more his hand returned to Astoria's shoulder, and despite any force, Harry saw a reflexive twitch in her body. Even Astoria seemed worried, she had told Harry that her relationship with her father wasn't great, but at the moment, Astoria seemed to be afraid of her father. Instantly, Harry reached for his wand, only to be stopped by Daphne's hand on his wrist and Astoria's quick shake of her head, "Not here," Daphne spoke with her eyes, and with gritted teeth, Harry nodded.

He watched closely as Mr. Greengrass walked Astoria away from the platform and Daphne spoke, "He seems different, during the Easter Holiday Astoria had written me saying that he was a bit off, but my father, while always been a rather unpleasant man has never been someone I was frightened of, at least, not until now."

"We can't just let him take Astoria," Harry spoke lowly, "That man, his magic felt cruel."

"I'll take care of it," Daphne spoke slowly, "Another house getting involved in Pure-Blood business would cause more harm than good. I'll figure it out, and I'll write to you if I learn anything."

Against his will, but knowing now that he was more of a public figure than ever, he nodded though his anxiety didn't seem to shrink in the slightest. Harry shifted to see the impatient look from Tracey who seemed to be bubbling to return home and relax after the long voyage, and softly he heard Daphne whisper, "Flyboy."

"Yeah Prince-," Harry started only to have his lips lightly touched by Daphne before she pulled away embarrassed slightly by her public action.

"Tracey's giving me the death stare so I've got to go," She said with a soft smile, "Trust me, I'll make sure Astoria stays safe, and you better not forget about me over the Summer with the third wheel over there."

"Hey, not cool!" Michael replied with fake offense, "I'm more like the fifth wheel, at most."

Harry shook his head as he promised his princess before he watched as she walked away to join her friends, his heart already missing her the moment she vanished from sight. He smiled though as soon as a playful punch from Michael snapped him out of his daze, "You going to keep staring like an idiot or are we getting a move on? I see Sirius and Professor Lupin over there."

Harry nodded and with a grin, he and Michael approached the two men who smiled down at them, "Have a good school year pup?" Sirius asked with a smile to which Harry nodded happily before Sirius grinned, "Good. Come on now, we've got a lot of work to do this summer."

"Right!" The two boys spoke with enthusiasm, and with a crack, they apparated.

**Book 1: End**

* * *

**A/N: Well, that's it folks, one book down... I have no idea how many more to go (haha). In my previous author's note, I talked a bit about the up and downs I faced while writing this story, and one of the downs was that since I personally get irritated when FF authors take like 3 years in between chapters, I didn't allow myself to branch out into other stories I had brewing in my head.**

**The most notable example of this is that while I love how this story turned out, and I hope I've delivered some quality HarryxDaphne content for those dying for it, it wasn't my first intention when I made this account. Honestly, I was planning on writing a Teddy Lupin and the Next Generation Style FF like none of the others I've seen before.**

**In a lot of the ones I've read, it's almost like Teddy's grown up and yet Harry still acts like a seventeen-year-old kid and none of the main timeline characters get any page time or actual development. I wanted to make a series where Harry had become a truly powerful wizard, heralded as one of the most powerful wizards of all time, as he might have had he dedicated himself to training, and where Teddy wasn't a cool popular wizard but someone suffering from a lot of inner turmoil due to being involved in the next great threat.**

**Honestly, I really still do want to write that story, but I'm afraid nobody is going to be interested in giving it a shot. And while of course, I will work on Book 2, I really want to try my hand at the Teddy Lupin story. I'm not sure when the first chapter will come out, but if you guys could not just follow, and favorite this story, but do so for me as an author as well to keep updated and give my pilot chapter and chance, it would mean a whole lot.**

**For the most part, writing FF has really made me feel like I've grown as a writer which is amazing for someone who wants to write a 'real' book themselves one day, and I would love a chance to create new characters, and new plotlines for near scratch without any expectations of guidelines. With only a few exceptions, most of your support has been completely fantastic, and I can't thank you enough for everything. So, until next time, Follow, Favorite, and Review! Peace!**


	35. Notice

Notice

So I received a comment that informed me that posting this little notice would help more people find out that I have posted **Part 2 to the Harry Black Story! **I thought that most people would have been alerted to that, but I guess that isn't how FF works so…. Now you know, go check out Harry Black Book 2


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